25 entrepreneurs honoured for plastic waste solutions

Twenty-five entrepreneurs have received a total of Tk 54.50 lakh for presenting innovative business ideas to reduce plastic use in a national competition.

The contest was organised under the Cleantech Accelerator and Commercialisation Programme, a joint initiative of SME Foundation and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

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The programme seeks to promote clean technologies, circular economy practices and innovative entrepreneurship.

The top three winners each received Tk 5 lakh, while the next seven received Tk 3.50 lakh each. The remaining 15 winners were awarded Tk 1 lakh each.

Shaikh Faridul Islam, state minister for environment, forest and climate change, presented the awards at a ceremony held today at Bangladesh Institute of Management (BIM) auditorium in Dhaka, according to a press release.

He said the efficient use of resources throughout production and consumption, along with greater reuse and recycling, could help transform waste into resources while protecting the environment, creating jobs, and supporting economic growth.

Anwar Hossain Chowdhury, managing director of SME Foundation, said plastic pollution in Bangladesh continues to worsen due to rising consumption and inadequate waste management.

Citing a 2020 World Bank report, he said the country generates about 977,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year, of which only 31 percent is recycled. In Dhaka, around 646 tonnes of plastic waste are generated daily, accounting for about 10 percent of the national total, with only 37 percent being recycled.

He said the government’s national action plan aims to halve plastic use by 2030, adding that the initiative would help achieve that goal as well as the Sustainable Development Goals related to industry, innovation and responsible consumption.

Entrepreneurs, students, non-governmental organisations and waste management enterprises from across the country submitted a total of 641 applications. Following an initial screening, 30 finalists were selected, with 25 ultimately receiving awards.

Industries Secretary Abdun Naser Khan presided over the programme.