Plastic recycling aids urban waste management
Sunday, 16 September 2007
Shahiduzzaman Khan
PLASTIC recycling industry has registered a mushroom growth in the old parts of the metropolitan city of Dhaka using the waste plastics picked from landfills. The industry generated employments for thousands of workers. Over 250 plastic goods factories have sprung up in Islambagh, Kamalbagh, Siddiqbazar and Mitford areas. One wonders how one of the most vibrant recycling industries is making a silent revolution in these areas in a short period of time.
Two types of works are being done here. One is for sorting out and the other for melting the plastic for making various products. These factories make various products like sandals, shoes, bucket, mug, toys and bowls. The plastic sandal and shoe making factories in the area use worn out plastic sandals as the only raw materials. The other factories also use waste plastic. In the factories, the waste plastics are cut it in smaller pieces in a machine and then melted in a furnace to make various products.
According to an expert on plastic goods, plastic recycling is needed in Bangladesh to save environment, create jobs and save millions of dollars of foreign currencies spent for importing virgin plastic. In 2005 the total demand for plastic was 540,000 tonnes of which 295,167 tonnes (55 percent) was imported and 244,833 tonnes (45 percent) was recycled. The import value of the recycled amount was $350 million. Recycling of plastic ensures removal of significant quantities of non-degradable materials from the landfill saving the quality of soil and environment.
Experts say the management of plastic waste through source separation and proper recycling based on the 4R approach (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover) should be encouraged at all levels. If source separation (separating plastic waste from kitchen waste) can be enforced at household level then a good amount of time and water can be saved which is used to clean soiled waste plastic. Chemically, plastics are non-biodegradable polymers of carbon, hydrogen and some chlorine and nitrogen. The non-biodegradable nature of plastics is a big headache for municipal waste management. It goes on accumulating, and no one knows what to do with it; may be eventually burn it. Part of this waste on a selective basis is recycled.
According to studies conducted out some years back, Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) collects over 50,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually. The average collection rate is around 137 tonnes per day. Roughly around half of this collected waste is recycled. The balance half of the waste can be converted to liquid fuel. If the country can manage to recycle all the plastic waste, it can produce liquid fuel where the value addition scope is much higher. The annual foreign exchange saved in terms of fuel import can be estimated at well over $250 million annually. However this will need a large conversion plant, which the country may have at a later stage.
Now how to produce liquid fuel from plastic waste? Gaseous hydrocarbons are condensed and separated into liquid and gas streams. The gas stream goes through an absorption column where the remaining traces of chlorine and chlorine compounds are removed. This chlorine free gas can be reused in the process for heating, or generating process power. A similar process, popularly called C2F (conserve & convert to fuel) is also available but the cost of the plant, technology and its operating cost based on normal capital financing is higher.
The estimated cost of production including financial cost could be about Tk 16 per litre of fuel produced. This however does not include any financial subsidy, which the government normally provides for imported fuel. Even half of the subsidy based on the cost of imported fuel on commercial basis will considerably reduce the cost per litre of this waste recycled fuel. Given this opportunity for recovering useful liquid fuel from waste plastic, which also solves the problem of urban waste management the government should provide all logistic and financial support to such a viable project, that should get top priority.
However, the local plastic industry is set to earn more than 15.0 billion taka worth foreign currencies -- both from direct and indirect exports -- by the end of this year. Yet lack of policy supports, inadequate port facilities and an unwanted image problems driven by misleading propaganda are the main hindrances to the growth of a potential plastic sector in the country.
Bangladesh is capable of producing world class plastic products to capture a sizeable portion of the 500 billion dollars global plastic market. If the quality of products is ensured and the cost of production cut, Bangladesh plastic sector can earn a billion dollar every year and reduce import of many other products. Encouraged by bond facilities in 1992, Bangladesh plastic sector now stands on a sound footing with more than 2000 factories all over the country. More than 0.2 million skilled and unskilled manpower are employed in this sector.
Some indiscriminate policies like mandatory bank guarantee provision have created serious setback to the export of plastic products. Currently, plastics are being exported from Bangladesh as accessories of various export items like garments, tea, jute etc. and finished goods. Plastic packaging material for export-oriented readymade garments, jute, tea leather, fish and the packaging for all other export items are now being manufactured by the local plastic industries.
The main problems with the country's plastic industry are higher production costs driven by high import duty and mandatory bank guarantee provision in case of import of raw materials. For exporters of plastic goods, the government has set a provision for 25 per cent bank guarantee on consignment basis in case of import of raw materials which has raised the cost of production and also cash crises.
For its tremendous growth, plastics sector has already been recognised as a major sector worldwide like textile and steel. The growth of plastic industry and the export of plastic items from the Asian countries have increased by more than 10 per cent each year on an average for the last 10 years. Currently, par capita yearly consumption of plastic product in Bangladesh is only 1.5 kg while in the USA, it is 165 kg and in China 4.0 kg. This is because the developed nations are enjoying the advantages of plastic technology at a rate much higher than those of under developed ones. Bangladesh, China and Malaysia are among others, taking advantages and earning the lion's share of US plastic market. As China recently has come under the US criticism for dumping products, a window of opportunity has opened up for Bangladesh to export its products to the US.
However, the plastic sector is facing difficulties also due to image crises driven by ban on polythene bags. But the fact is -- plastics are the most eco-friendly materials, and the most misunderstood too. Unfortunately, propagation of half-backed information and ill-founded concepts against plastics tend to malign the sincere efforts of the plastic industry.
The government should not have slapped ban on polypropylene products measuring below 100 micron. All types of plastic materials used for wrapping or packaging export items came under the purview of the ban. As a result, many garment accessories manufacturing units are being shut down. Surprisingly, there is no restriction on wrapping materials that are imported or coming from abroad as usual with imported goods. As such, the government should withdraw the restriction especially for the plastic products manufactured for export or used for packing export items. A testing laboratory to maintain the quality of plastic products should be setly in the country for the healthy promotion of the fledgling industry.
PLASTIC recycling industry has registered a mushroom growth in the old parts of the metropolitan city of Dhaka using the waste plastics picked from landfills. The industry generated employments for thousands of workers. Over 250 plastic goods factories have sprung up in Islambagh, Kamalbagh, Siddiqbazar and Mitford areas. One wonders how one of the most vibrant recycling industries is making a silent revolution in these areas in a short period of time.
Two types of works are being done here. One is for sorting out and the other for melting the plastic for making various products. These factories make various products like sandals, shoes, bucket, mug, toys and bowls. The plastic sandal and shoe making factories in the area use worn out plastic sandals as the only raw materials. The other factories also use waste plastic. In the factories, the waste plastics are cut it in smaller pieces in a machine and then melted in a furnace to make various products.
According to an expert on plastic goods, plastic recycling is needed in Bangladesh to save environment, create jobs and save millions of dollars of foreign currencies spent for importing virgin plastic. In 2005 the total demand for plastic was 540,000 tonnes of which 295,167 tonnes (55 percent) was imported and 244,833 tonnes (45 percent) was recycled. The import value of the recycled amount was $350 million. Recycling of plastic ensures removal of significant quantities of non-degradable materials from the landfill saving the quality of soil and environment.
Experts say the management of plastic waste through source separation and proper recycling based on the 4R approach (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover) should be encouraged at all levels. If source separation (separating plastic waste from kitchen waste) can be enforced at household level then a good amount of time and water can be saved which is used to clean soiled waste plastic. Chemically, plastics are non-biodegradable polymers of carbon, hydrogen and some chlorine and nitrogen. The non-biodegradable nature of plastics is a big headache for municipal waste management. It goes on accumulating, and no one knows what to do with it; may be eventually burn it. Part of this waste on a selective basis is recycled.
According to studies conducted out some years back, Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) collects over 50,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually. The average collection rate is around 137 tonnes per day. Roughly around half of this collected waste is recycled. The balance half of the waste can be converted to liquid fuel. If the country can manage to recycle all the plastic waste, it can produce liquid fuel where the value addition scope is much higher. The annual foreign exchange saved in terms of fuel import can be estimated at well over $250 million annually. However this will need a large conversion plant, which the country may have at a later stage.
Now how to produce liquid fuel from plastic waste? Gaseous hydrocarbons are condensed and separated into liquid and gas streams. The gas stream goes through an absorption column where the remaining traces of chlorine and chlorine compounds are removed. This chlorine free gas can be reused in the process for heating, or generating process power. A similar process, popularly called C2F (conserve & convert to fuel) is also available but the cost of the plant, technology and its operating cost based on normal capital financing is higher.
The estimated cost of production including financial cost could be about Tk 16 per litre of fuel produced. This however does not include any financial subsidy, which the government normally provides for imported fuel. Even half of the subsidy based on the cost of imported fuel on commercial basis will considerably reduce the cost per litre of this waste recycled fuel. Given this opportunity for recovering useful liquid fuel from waste plastic, which also solves the problem of urban waste management the government should provide all logistic and financial support to such a viable project, that should get top priority.
However, the local plastic industry is set to earn more than 15.0 billion taka worth foreign currencies -- both from direct and indirect exports -- by the end of this year. Yet lack of policy supports, inadequate port facilities and an unwanted image problems driven by misleading propaganda are the main hindrances to the growth of a potential plastic sector in the country.
Bangladesh is capable of producing world class plastic products to capture a sizeable portion of the 500 billion dollars global plastic market. If the quality of products is ensured and the cost of production cut, Bangladesh plastic sector can earn a billion dollar every year and reduce import of many other products. Encouraged by bond facilities in 1992, Bangladesh plastic sector now stands on a sound footing with more than 2000 factories all over the country. More than 0.2 million skilled and unskilled manpower are employed in this sector.
Some indiscriminate policies like mandatory bank guarantee provision have created serious setback to the export of plastic products. Currently, plastics are being exported from Bangladesh as accessories of various export items like garments, tea, jute etc. and finished goods. Plastic packaging material for export-oriented readymade garments, jute, tea leather, fish and the packaging for all other export items are now being manufactured by the local plastic industries.
The main problems with the country's plastic industry are higher production costs driven by high import duty and mandatory bank guarantee provision in case of import of raw materials. For exporters of plastic goods, the government has set a provision for 25 per cent bank guarantee on consignment basis in case of import of raw materials which has raised the cost of production and also cash crises.
For its tremendous growth, plastics sector has already been recognised as a major sector worldwide like textile and steel. The growth of plastic industry and the export of plastic items from the Asian countries have increased by more than 10 per cent each year on an average for the last 10 years. Currently, par capita yearly consumption of plastic product in Bangladesh is only 1.5 kg while in the USA, it is 165 kg and in China 4.0 kg. This is because the developed nations are enjoying the advantages of plastic technology at a rate much higher than those of under developed ones. Bangladesh, China and Malaysia are among others, taking advantages and earning the lion's share of US plastic market. As China recently has come under the US criticism for dumping products, a window of opportunity has opened up for Bangladesh to export its products to the US.
However, the plastic sector is facing difficulties also due to image crises driven by ban on polythene bags. But the fact is -- plastics are the most eco-friendly materials, and the most misunderstood too. Unfortunately, propagation of half-backed information and ill-founded concepts against plastics tend to malign the sincere efforts of the plastic industry.
The government should not have slapped ban on polypropylene products measuring below 100 micron. All types of plastic materials used for wrapping or packaging export items came under the purview of the ban. As a result, many garment accessories manufacturing units are being shut down. Surprisingly, there is no restriction on wrapping materials that are imported or coming from abroad as usual with imported goods. As such, the government should withdraw the restriction especially for the plastic products manufactured for export or used for packing export items. A testing laboratory to maintain the quality of plastic products should be setly in the country for the healthy promotion of the fledgling industry.