Speakers at a seminar here on Thursday stressed the need for strengthening the circular approaches to plastics production and use with a view to contain plastic pollution in the country.

They also focused on translating policy into practical action, drawing on industry experiences to improve resource efficiency and reduce waste to prevent plastic pollution.

The Department of Environment (DoE) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) jointly arranged the seminar at the Westin Dhaka, bringing together government officials, industry representatives and development partners to advance Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) and Design for Environment (DfE) in Bangladesh’s plastics sector.

The event was organised under the project “Integrated Approach towards Sustainable Plastics Use and Marine Litter Prevention in Bangladesh”, implemented by UNIDO in collaboration with the DoE, with funding from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka.

Ambassador of Norway to Bangladesh Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen attended the inaugural session of the seminar as Chief Guest, while UNIDO Country Representative in Bangladesh Alamgir Hossain attended as Special Guest. The session was chaired by DoE Director Dr Masud Iqbal Md Shamin.

National Project Director and DoE Deputy Director Dr Abdullah Al Mamun delivered the welcome address. A video message from DoE Director General Dr Lutfor Rahman was also screened.

The technical session examined how Bangladesh can move from EPR policy to implementation. National Expert Maqsood Sinha under the project “Integrated Approach Towards Sustainable Plastics Use and Marine Litter Prevention in Bangladesh”, presented approaches to advancing EPR, followed by a panel discussion moderated by former UNIDO Country Representative Dr Zaki Uz Zaman.

Discussions explored the roles of government, producers and other stakeholders in putting EPR into practice, followed by an open exchange with participants.

The afternoon sessions focused on practical changes within industry. UNIDO’s project team presented achievements and future opportunities under RECP, followed by experiences from Akij Plastics Ltd, Exoplast Ltd and Tel Plastic Ltd of RFL Group. These sessions provided a platform to share approaches to using materials, energy and other resources more efficiently while reducing waste in plastics manufacturing, according to a press release.