Unilever Bangladesh Limited and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote innovation and research.
As part of this initiative, BUET’s Research and Innovation Centre for Science and Engineering (RISE) has awarded a research project to address plastic packaging circularity in Bangladesh, according to a press release on Monday.
Unilever Bangladesh Managing Director and CEO Zaved Akhtar and BUET Vice Chancellor Professor Satya Prasad Majumder singed the MoU on behalf of their respective organizations.
Unilever and RISE jointly organized MoU signing ceremony which is the first step towards the collaborative approach between RISE, BUET and UBL with the research project titled “Sustainable Plastic Packaging Circularity –Cost-Effective Appropriate Technology”.
This research is part of Unilever’s commitment to take action on plastic waste challenge in Bangladesh through the “Less plastic, better plastic, no plastic” model, and heading to a waste-free and sustainable Bangladesh.
This collaboration is aimed at addressing pressing environmental challenges, future-fit technological solutions and promoting sustainability in context of Bangladesh scenario, said the release.
This collaborative effort will primarily concentrate on country specific solution for mitigating the environmental impact, minimizing the carbon footprint, enhancing energy efficiency, and establishing sustainable sourcing practices for raw materials and a strong focus will be placed on researching and advancing recyclable, reusable and compostable packaging solutions, it added.
Saber Hossain Chowdhury, chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, attended the MoU signing as chief guest.
"The three main crises in the world today are climate change, threats to biodiversity, and plastic pollution, and the future of Bangladesh depends on the implementation of policies and strategies to deal with these issues,” said Saber.
“The amount of plastic waste in our environment is increasing every day. Thus, plastic waste management needs to be integrated into the business model to find solutions. As an outcome of this MoU, I am hopeful that UBL, as a global brand, will share their experience with BUET and co-create innovative ways to solve the plastic problem," he added.
“At Unilever, sustainability is at the heart of our business. As a part of our global commitment to improve the health of our planet, we have been driving innovative approaches to plastic waste management since 2020, which includes innovation in packaging, creating a sustainable model for plastic waste collection and management, and creating common platforms for multi-stakeholder dialogues and knowledge sharing,” said Zaved Akhtar, Unilever managing director and CEO.