Polythene bag prevails for lack of suitable alternative: Experts

Polythene bag prevails for lack of suitable alternative: Experts

- AbdurRahmad Jahangir and Masudul Hoque

Though there is a ban on it, the manufacturing and use of polythene shopping bag keep growing across the country as the authorities concerned have failed to come up with a suitable alternative to the hazardous object over the last 15 years, experts observed.

They also said the use of nonbiodegradable polythene bag has become a common sight everywhere from shopping malls to kitchen markets due to the non-enforcement of law, lack of the ‘government’s good will’ and adequate efforts to create awareness among people about the risk of polythene bag and its adverse impacts on the environment.

Even, Director General (DG) of the Department of Environment (DoE) RaisulAlamMondal thinks checking the use of polythene bag is a daunting task due to the absence of cost-effective and environment-friendly alternative.

Under the Bangladesh Environment Protect (Amendment 2002) Act 1995, the government in 2007 allowed the production of 55-micron thick polythene for the packaging of garment products, medicine, fish fry, sapling and some other goods and products which virtually contributed to rise in production and the use of the harmful object, Mandal added.