73% of plastic waste recycled in Chattogram city, study says

Around 73% of Chattogram City's waste — 1,87,079 metric tonnes — is collected and recycled, making the city a global benchmark in plastic waste management, a study claimed.

Chattogram City, comprising 41 wards and inhabited by over 5 million residents, generates approximately 2,57,913 metric tonnes of plastic waste annually. 

This large-scale recycling effort supports the production of a wide array of plastic-derived goods and engages more than 20,500 workers and entrepreneurs. 

To put things in perspective, global plastic recycling rates hover between only 9% and 16%, positioning Chattogram as a leading example in the global fight against plastic pollution.

These findings were revealed at the "Multi-Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on Plastic Waste Management in Chattogram City" held today at Radisson Blu Bay View, Chattogram. 

Organised by the Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Chittagong, the workshop drew 120 participants, including researchers, city corporation officials, entrepreneurs, journalists, students, and stakeholders from the plastic waste recycling sector.

The study was conducted under the World Bank-supported Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia (PLEASE) Project, supervised by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP). 

According to the researchers, despite Chattogram's commendable recycling performance, around 27% (70,833 metric tonnes) of the plastic waste still ends up in drains, canals, and water bodies, causing serious environmental challenges. 

The Karnaphuli River, in particular, faces severe pollution, with the Chattogram Port Authority identifying 2–7 meters of accumulated polythene and plastic waste on the riverbed — significantly obstructing dredging operations.

 Professor Dr Shahnewaz Chowdhury, a member of the research team, told The Business Standard, "Plastic fishing nets, or ghost nets, are posing grave risks to marine life. These nets often sink to the ocean floor, eventually degrading into microplastics that enter the food chain via fish, leading to serious health hazards such as cancer, hormonal imbalance, and infertility.

"Approximately 40,110 metric tonnes of plastic nets are used annually by around 19,000 boats and trawlers in Bangladesh's coastal regions, of which 2,740 metric tonnes (about 7%) are abandoned at sea."

To tackle these challenges, the project emphasised the need for enhanced technical training, risk mitigation, health awareness, and widespread promotion of eco-friendly alternatives. 

The workshop was chaired by Professor Dr Mohammad Shahadat Hossain, Dean of the Faculty of Marine Sciences and Fisheries, University of Chittagong. 

Distinguished speakers included Professor S.M. Nasrul Qadir, Vice-Chancellor of Premier University; Sheikh Mohammad Touhidul Islam, CEO of Chattogram City Corporation; Dr Mohammad Al Amin, Dean of the Faculty of Science; Commander Iftekhar Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Chief Cleaning Officer of the City Corporation; and Dr Mohammad Nurul Azim Shikdar, Acting Director of the Institute of Marine Sciences. 

The welcome address was delivered by Dr Md Alauddin Majumdar, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, while Professor Dr Md Ashraful Azam Khan, Chair of the Department of Fisheries, presided over the technical session.