Govt wants to ban 17 plastic products

Mahfuja Mukul: The government is taking initiatives to stop the use of 17 types of plastic products in the country. For this purpose, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has already issued a notification.
Every home has some plastic products. From drinking water bottles, jugs to tables and chairs and various types of furniture. Not only that, now the wedding invitations have also been updated. Besides, plastic banners adorn the streets at various places. Not all of these plastic products pollute the environment. However, health experts believe that in some cases, plastic products are harmful to health.
Always take a plastic water bottle with you when leaving home. When the water in this bottle is over, it is thrown here and there. But those who are environmentally conscious do not do this. But mostly people throw away plastic water bottles here and there. As a result, there is a risk of flooding in the rain. Again, these used plastic bottles are recycled. Which later comes hand in hand.
With climate change, the issue of environment is now gaining importance. Plastic products are contributing to environmental pollution due to lack of awareness.
That is why the challenges of environmental pollution were presented in detail at an international conference on the world environment in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, from March 11 to 15, 2019. At the same time there is a discussion. The discussion on the basis of which the proposal is taken is to stop the use of plastic products by 2030. Apart from Bangladesh, 179 countries of the world participated in the conference. It is said that Bangladesh agreed to that proposal.
In that context, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change issued a notification on June 30. According to the notification, 17 plastic products have been designated as single use list for environment conservation, pollution control and protection of biodiversity. At the same time, plans have been made to stop using these products. The 17 products include-straws, stirrers, single-use plastic bags, balloons, sticks or sticks used with ice cream or lollipops, plastic banners less than 100 microns thick, plastic wrappers for posters, single-use plastic mini packets of various products, plastic wrappers for chocolates and lollipops. , plastic coated fast food wrappers, plastic invitations, invitation cards, thermal lamination used on promotional materials, plastic coated cigarette packets, tissue paper, toilet paper, toilet roll, soap wrappers, melamine foam sponges, cigarette filters and plastic bottles.
Bangladesh Plastic Products Manufacturers and Exporters Association has sent a letter to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in this regard on July 13. The letter clearly mentions that if 17 plastic items are stopped together, the country’s economy will suffer.
Apart from this, thousands of workers involved in these sectors will become unemployed. Because alternatives to these products have not yet been developed. If highly consumable and essential products are discontinued, it will affect the economy. In the letter, they requested not to take any decision without consulting the stakeholders.
It is known that these products earn tens of thousands of crores of rupees annually. A lot of foreign currency is earned not only in the country but also by exporting abroad. Even though the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate has not taken any decision on this yet, there is a glimpse that it will take a decision soon. A responsible senior official of the ministry told this reporter on Monday that the United Nations environment related resolution states that the use of these plastic products must be stopped by the year 2030. A number of developed countries in the world have taken steps in this regard. Already we know, Canada has stopped using 6 items of plastic.
It is known that Bangladesh has been asked to prepare from now on to find alternative products for these plastic products. Many countries have already started research on this. In the study, some countries mentioned paper, glass, aluminum, steel as alternatives to plastic products. The United Nations has urged that plastic products not be recycled in any way. Because these recycled plastics have at least four times the carbon footprint, which is extremely harmful to the planet.
In this regard, President of Bangladesh Plastic Products Manufacturers and Exporters Association Samim Ahmed said, we have said that the effect of stopping these products on the economy should be discussed with FBCCI and Bidder in addition to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Not only that, since there is time till next year 2030, a realistic decision needs to be taken during this period.
It is known that the UN environmental resolution has been sent to the association from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.