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WASTE SORTING AT SOURCE

Small initiative, big impact
MD ASADUZ ZAMAN, back from Chattogram
For decades, Chattogram City Corporation has been struggling with waste management in the port city, the commercial capital and second-largest city in Bangladesh.
It faces challenges in managing solid waste due to urban sprawl.
On an average, 3,000 tonnes of solid waste are generated daily in Chattogram city, of which plastic and polythene wastes account for nine percent.
A joint initiative taken by the CCC, Unilever Bangladesh Limited, and Young Power in Social Action, has eased the situation in recent times.
As part of the pilot project, CCC areas were selected where households are not sorting their wastes in separate baskets before those were taken by CCC’s waste collectors for disposal.
Mohammad Munna, a waste collector of ward-7, earlier used to collect around 8-10 kilogrammes of household wastes daily.
Nowadays, Munna is collecting around 15-20 kg of wastes daily, including plastic and polythene wastes, double his previous amount, while generating a higher income.
“I am now earning Tk 40 per kg from plastic recyclers and also getting an additional incentive of Tk 2 per kg from the waste management project. It has made me a little more financially sufficient,” Munna said.
Like him, around 2,400 waste collectors are working across 41 wards under CCC and then selling the plastic and polythene wastes to 200 small recyclers.
“Earlier, waste collectors would only bring some one-time plastic wastes and ignore polythene items. As they are getting financial benefits, they have started to bring more plastic and polythene wastes for recycling,” shared Al Amin, a recycler in ward-7.
“Although plastic waste is non-biodegradable, it is reusable and has economic value,” said Md Arifur Rahman, chief executive of YPSA.
YPSA has taken an approach by connecting existing actors (source point to recyclers) of the plastic waste value chain for proper plastic waste management in Chattogram city, he explained.
“We have conducted an awareness campaign in CCC areas and formed a wastage management committee in each ward,” he added.
Josna Akter Mim, a resident of Hill-view area under ward-7, said, “Now we keep the wastes separately and try to contribute to the environment. Sometimes our housemaid sells plastic waste to recyclers directly and earns some money.”
Shamima Akhter, director for corporate affairs, partnership and communication at Unilever, said, “As a consumer goods company, Unilever takes responsibility for the impact our business has, and we want to help shape a better waste-free future.”
Md Mubarak Ali, chairman of Standing Committee for Waste Management at CCC, “Like Unilever, other multinational companies should also come forward to contribute to waste management.”