Will take to streets if govt decision puts plastic industry at risk: Business owners
If any decision taken by the government without consulting stakeholders puts the plastic industry at risk, then the traders will have no choice but to take to the streets, said businessmen today (14 October).
President of Bangladesh Plastic Products Manufacturers and Exporters Association Samim Ahmed, who is also the coordinator of Plastic Foundation, read out a written statement during a press briefing at the Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital. Abu Motaleb, the president of Bangladesh Plastic Packaging, Roll Manufacturers Owners and Trade Association, also spoke at the event.
On 20 June, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change announced the decision to phase out 17 single-use plastic products. In the first phase, the use of polythene bags has been banned in supershops by the interim government and drives against the use of polythene bags across the country will begin from 1 November.
Today's press conference, organised by the Plastic Foundation, was held to express the plastic businesses' protest against the move.
Plastic product producers claimed that none of the decisions taken to stop the use of polythene are being discussed with them. Instead, they are being imposed suddenly. They said traders will not suffer if the shift is done gradually over six months to one year by providing alternatives to polythene.
Abu Motaleb said that traders are already suffering due to repeated hikes in gas and electricity prices, increases in rent by building owners, extortion during the previous government's tenure and contradictory government decisions.
If there is a new blow to the business, the government will get less tax, the industry will face new losses and foreign investment will decrease, he said and urged the interim government's Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus to understand that the current situation is very critical.
If the situation demands, the traders will take to the streets, Motaleb added.
Traders said the ban on plastic shopping bags announced in 2002 has not been implemented in the last 22 years as it has not been possible to manufacture and supply affordable, good quality and easy-to-use alternatives.
Samim Ahmed said that to save the environment, plastic waste recycling and reusing should increase and management should be improved.
"We are not responsible for ocean pollution. There are 54 rivers from India, Nepal and China flowing into Bangladesh, bringing a lot of plastic waste to our rivers, streams and ocean. So, it is not reasonable to blame Bangladesh for all the waste," he said.
Plastic product producers at the press briefing also said that banning single-use plastic without creating alternative products will affect export, trade, packaging industries and medicine sectors, reports UNB.
They expressed concern saying that a large number of workers in this sector will become unemployed if the government restricts the use of 17 single-use plastic products.
They said around 13 lakh small traders are involved in manufacturing and selling plastic goods in the country that generate around Tk40,000 crore as government revenue.
The traders placed an 11-point demand, including recycling of plastic products like Japan, to protect the environment.
The government has categorised 17 hazardous single-use plastics to phase these out from the environment.
Cigarette filter, fast food wrap, plastic bottle and its cap, straw, stirrer, one-time utensils, cutlery (e.g. cups, plates, trays, spoon, fork), plastic sticks, styrofoam food packaging (e.g biryani packet etc), thin plastic films on fast food packaging, plastic invitation card and melamine foam sponges used for household cleaning are among the 17 products, according to a circular issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in August this year.