All talk, no trash: 6 months into crackdown, Bangladesh polythene ban lacks bite

“We could not implement the polythene ban earlier due to the unavailability of alternatives in the market,” says an expert

Anwar Hossain bought vegetables wrapped in two polythene bags from a shop in Muslim Bazar, a bustling corner in Dhaka’s Mirpur.

After walking a short distance, he turned back to collect one more polythene bag.

The shopkeeper handed it over without hesitation.

“I will put the two small bags in a big polythene; it is convenient to carry that way,” said Anwar, a cloth merchant, while speaking to bdnews24.com.

“What will happen even if we are aware — those bags can’t be found anywhere. If we could find them, we would have used them.”

A visit to Karwan Bazar, several markets in Mirpur, and the kitchen market in Mohakhali found polythene bags being used without restraint.

Six months ago, officials had vowed to crack down on the use of polythene. But the promise appears to have floundered.

Buyers and sellers alike say a true ban is impossible without large-scale distribution of alternatives.

They also insist that shutting down polythene factories is essential.

Announcing a ban and conducting raids sporadically, they say, do very little.

Half a year into the ban on polythene in supershops and kitchen markets, the lack of alternative bags remains the most common excuse.

Even in stores that sell bags, eco-friendly options made from jute or cloth are nowhere to be seen.

Instead, plastic, net, and tissue bags are stacked on the shelves.

Bag sellers blame a shortage in supply.

Manufacturers of eco-friendly bags say they want government initiatives to promote them.

Bangladesh passed a law in 2002, banning the production, sale and marketing of polythene to protect the environment.

After the interim government took office, a fresh ban was declared, starting with supershops on Oct 1, 2024.

A month later, on Nov 1, 2024, kitchen markets were added to the list.

That same order outlawed the production, storage, transport, sale, and use of polythene and polypropylene shopping bags.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched a campaign soon after, seizing bags and issuing fines.

Environment Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan also urged all supershops to stock cloth and jute bags instead.

At Muslim Bazar’s Mayer Doa Store, however, plastic bags are still being sold.

Shopkeeper Rakib, who identified himself by a single name, said he was unaware that they were banned or harmful to the environment.

“We will find out if there is a campaign,” he said.

“I don’t see jute bags. If you walk around the entire Muslim Bazar — you won’t find any jute bags from any shopkeeper. Not just here, everywhere. Hawkers bring bags, they don’t have any jute bags either.”

Azizul Bhuiyan, a vegetable seller, said stopping polythene production is the only way to keep it out of customers’ hands.

“Polythene shops are open,” he said.

“We have to give it [polythene bags] to the customers. Five more are giving it. How can I not? There are no alternative bags. The government will have to take initiative for this.”

Abdur Rauf Rakib, a private employee, was seen carrying vegetables in polythene bags.

He said he had no choice.

“Can’t find eco-friendly bags here. Where will people buy it from? Polythene and plastic bags are sold everywhere.”

Saidul Islam, a mobile fruit vendor in the Pallabi area, echoed the sentiment.

“People don’t have jute bags,” he said.

“They would bring them if they had it. Polythene was banned, but now it’s not. If polythene is banned, how will people sell things? How would customers carry the goods?”

At the Raju One-Time Business Centre in Muslim Bazar, stacks of polythene, nets, and tissue bags are still being sold.

A shopkeeper at the market, calling himself only by Shakib, said: “We haven’t got jute bags or cloth bags yet. They aren’t available anywhere, but if they were, we would have brought them. After the ban, I wasn’t selling polythene, but even if I didn’t sell, other shopkeepers are selling them.”

At the Mohakhali kitchen market, polythene was being used in the shop of Khokon, a betel leaf seller, who identified himself by a single name.

Speaking to bdnews24.com, he broke down the economics behind it - two kgs of polythene weighing 250 grams cost him Tk 460.

Khokon claims Tk 460 can buy 250 large polythene bags, 300 medium ones, or 400 small ones.

He said he uses between 500 and 1,000 bags a day.

For one piece of eco-friendly bag for Tk 3, the cost would rise between Tk 1,500 and Tk 3,000.

That, he said, would be a major blow to his business.

“The government should bring the bags to the market,” he said.

“When we go to buy, we only get polythene. We earn Tk 5 by selling half a betel. So the government should give it to us.”

No jute or cloth bags were found even at the bag-selling shops in the Mohakhali kitchen market.

Jamal, a fruit seller who identified himself with a single name, called the government raids and fines “unfair” in the absence of alternatives.

“We don’t have the opportunity to protest,” he said.

“If we protest, they will harass us. An alternative has to be brought. It can’t be done otherwise. What will I give you if you buy something from me? I will pay the fine.”

At Karwan Bazar, both buyers and sellers were seen carrying polythene bags.

Sohel, a vegetable vendor who identified himself by a single name, accused the government of profiting from the situation.

“They just take money from the common people through the magistrate,” he said.

“But it has to be stopped in such a place — so that I can’t buy it.”

Tofazzal Hossain, a day labourer, said the responsibility lies with the shopkeepers.

“The shopkeeper will give it,” he said.

“What can I do here? If he stops it, I have no problem.”

A mobile fish vendor, referred to as just Ashraful, purchased a stack of polythene bags from a nearby shop.

That shop, too, carried polythene, nets, and plastic bags.

“I have to sell fish. So I have to buy polythene,” Ashraful said.

“If I had an alternative, I wouldn’t have bought it.”

A shopkeeper referred to as just by Shakil, said he has been unable to stock eco-friendly options due to poor production.

Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, a professor of environmental science at Stamford University, said the situation underscores a deeper issue.

He called for behavioural research on people’s reliance on polythene.

“If we had done some research, we would have understood the situation. We could not implement the polythene ban earlier due to the unavailability of alternatives in the market.”

WHAT ABOUT SUPERSHOPS?

After the renewed ban on polythene, the market saw a brief rise in the use of eco-friendly bags, but net bags have quietly resumed their dominance in sales.

At Agora’s Mirpur-12 outlet, raw vegetables were found wrapped in polythene, while customers were handed products in net bags.

Cloth bags, offered as an alternative, were also available for purchase.

“These are sold for Tk 25 - Tk 30,” said Rafiq, a packer at the sales counter.

“If they [customers] buy a lot of goods, then they take them [cloth bags]. Otherwise they don't want to buy them. The price is high, so we cannot afford to give it to them either.”

Rafiq Hossain, a government employee shopping for dry food at Agora, said: “I was returning home after work; I thought I should buy something so I bought it; I did not bring a bag. I will not buy the same thing [cloth bag] again and again. If the price was lower, I would have bought it.”

At Shwapno’s Mirpur-10 outlet, net bags are being used to pack customer purchases.

However, jute bags are also on display, and available for Tk 20 to Tk 25 each.

“The price of jute is much higher than plastic; that’s why I can’t give it away for free,” said Dhrubo Chowdhury, a checkout assistant at the supershop.

“Good buyers buy them. There are some who can’t buy it. We are getting alternative bags as per our needs.”

In Mohakhali’s Paragon Mart, net bags are the only option being used to wrap products.

No alternative bags were in sight, and no employee at the store was willing to comment on the matter.

WHY IS THE SUPPLY OF ECO-FRIENDLY BAGS LOW?

Entrepreneurs say the market lacks enough alternative bags due to the absence of robust government initiatives and supporting institutions.

Earth Matters Limited has been producing biodegradable bags from corn and bone meal since November 2023 and currently manufactures one million bags per month.

Azimul Islam, the company’s managing director, noted that not even 1 percent of the country’s polythene bag use is being replaced by alternatives.

Speaking to bdnews24.com, Azimul said corporate clients continue to place orders, but they cannot expand to the broader market due to the absence of clear directives from the government.

He said the company submitted product samples and documentation to the Department of Environment two months ago but has yet to receive an update.

“It is expensive, and our costs are also high,” he said.

“That is why it is difficult to buy from others except superstores.”

Islam added that current production is insufficient to meet the needs of even one consumer category, noting that many products are instead being exported.

“If the government gives any guidelines, then it will be seen that many people are coming in for it,” he said.

“People don't know about it. Awareness has been created, but production is low.”

He emphasised the need for government action, calling for a dedicated regulatory body to oversee the alternative bag sector.

On Jan 19, the Department of Environment issued a notice asking for information and samples for the approval of biodegradable bags to replace polythene.

Earth Matters and other companies have since applied for approval, hoping to expand production.

Md Kamruzzaman, director general of the Department of Environment, told bdnews24.com that applications are under review and action will be taken in accordance with environmental regulations.

In Rajshahi, Crystal Biotech has been producing corn-based alternative bags for three years but struggles to reach its full capacity of 200,000 bags per day.

The company’s owner, Iftekharul Haq, attributed the low production to continued access to polythene and lack of initiative by the Department of Environment.

“The government needs to promote alternative bags and ban polythene,” he said.

“Since our bags are biodegradable, we don't make them without orders.”

Haq noted that biodegradable bags have a limited shelf life.

“We can't keep them for long, they get spoilt,” he said, citing a missed order from a supershop due to unclear government preferences.

His current clients are mainly environmentalists, and he believes greater government engagement is necessary to make alternatives widely available.

“The existing polythene factories can also be converted and switched to alternative production. It won't take even three months,” he said.

JK Polymers in Gopalganj is currently conducting trials of corn-based bags, producing 1,000 units a day.

Director BM Nuruzzaman said commercial production could begin this week if sufficient orders come in, but import and customs challenges are slowing progress.

“The country’s economic situation is not that good, so we’re progressing slowly. If the government can help us bring the goods…we have to face a lot of trouble while bringing goods from customs. There are a lot of problems. If those problems go away then investors will be more eager to come.”

“If we want to use alternative bags everywhere, we will need many more machines and factories,” he said.

“Without political will and proper implementation of the law—it is not possible.”

Customise Jute Bag is currently producing 1,000 bags per day despite having the capacity to manufacture 30,000 to 40,000 jute bags.

Nusrat Jahan, the owner of the company, said: “We make promotional bags. We make fewer shopping bags.”

“We are not being able to get jute fabrics. Since it's expensive, we are unable to increase production. We don't have a lot of space either. There is demand in the market. Maybe if the price is lower, demand will increase.”

WHICH WAY TO GO?

Experts argue that banning polythene for a few days and imposing fines is not a sustainable solution.

They emphasise the need for a viable and accessible alternative to ensure lasting change.

Kamruzzaman Majumder has called for a gradual removal of polythene from the market, allowing consumers time to adjust to new options.

“They could not bring easily available, cheap bags for the general public to use,” he said.

“They should not impose fines without providing alternatives. More than 10 million polythene bags are used every day. Do we have the capacity to supply 10 million jute bags? The calculation is not in front of us. If we ban banned things again, it will not be sustainable, research is needed.”

He proposed halting the use of polythene at the production level, regulating the import of raw materials, closely monitoring the market, and launching awareness campaigns.

A 2023 study by the Environment and Social Development Organization, or ESDO, found that over 25 million polythene bags are used once and discarded every day in Dhaka city alone.

The average family in Dhaka uses about five polythene bags daily.

More than 3.5 million tissue bags are produced and circulated in the country each day.

Despite being made from synthetic fibres, they are marketed as cloth bags.

Kamruzzaman noted that while the usage level is lower compared to other countries, the issue lies in the lack of proper management.

“They are going into rivers and canals,” he said.

“If this is taken under proper management, there will be no need for market monitoring, production systems, and there will be less need for it.”

Asib Ahmed, an associate professor at Dhaka University, said the government needs to engage directly with polythene producers and work to raise awareness among the public.

“We have made a strong law, we have gone on raids every few days—it is not possible to do this secretly,” he said.

“The direct release of polythene into the environment must be stopped, then there will be no problem.”

“Bringing factories under a regulation—this category of polythene bags can be produced, these cannot. Polythene should be removed from the market step by step. During this time, alternative bags can be brought in.”

To support the campaign against polythene use, the Department of Environment held a day-long fair and a seminar on Sept 29, 2024, with stakeholders to promote awareness and encourage the distribution of alternative products, said Kamruzzaman, the director general of the department.

“A public notice has been published in the media regarding the ban on the use of polythene/polypropylene shopping bags,” he said.

“The Department of Environment and a team of students have conducted a public awareness campaign in super shops in Dhaka city for a week.”

“As part of market monitoring, public awareness activities and clean-up campaigns have also been conducted in 6 kitchen markets in Dhaka.”

Kamruzzaman attributed the continued use of polythene to two major factors - a lack of public awareness and the easy availability of the material.

“There is a lack of necessary publicity in print and electronic media about the health and environmental harms of polythene,” he said. “Despite that, the government is very sincere and is trying its best to completely ban the polythene.”