The Honorable Mayor of Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) was present at the MoU signing event as the chief guest. Sheikh Mohammad Tauhidul Islam, Chief Executive Officer, Chattogram City Corporation (CCC), Zaved Akhtar, CEO and Managing Director, Unilever Bangladesh Ltd. (UBL), and Palash Chowdhury, Finance Director, Young Power in Action (YPSA), signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations.
As a lightweight and cost-effective packaging material, plastic is essential for ensuring product availability to consumers, especially for consumers in rapidly developing economies like Bangladesh. However, plastic pollution has become a growing concern and plastic should be kept in a loop to ensure a sustainable future for all. To address plastic pollution, systemic change is required to establish an efficient plastic waste management system.
As part of Unilever’s global commitments, Unilever Bangladesh is committed to taking action on the plastic waste management challenge in Bangladesh through reduction, collaboration and circulation. Since 2020, the company has been working on diverse plastic waste management initiatives.
Unilever Bangladesh in collaboration with Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) launched a plastic waste management initiative in Chattogram City Corporation in 2022 with the vision to enhance the informal value chain and increase plastic waste collection. Since June 2022, 7,000 tonnes of plastic waste have been collected (till June 2023), more than 2000 waste workers were trained and received livelihood support, and 100% collected plastic was recycled.
Based on the learning, this initiative is now going to continue in the coming years and under the recently signed MoU, Unilever and YPSA aim to collect 10% of Chattogram’s mismanaged plastic waste, strengthen 5000 waste worker’s livelihoods, increase citizen awareness and formalise the informal recycling value chain in Chattogram.
Zaved Akhtar, CEO and Managing Director, Unilever Bangladesh Limited, said, "As a part of Unilever’s 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, and creating and managing a sustainable model for plastic waste collection. We must address plastic pollution and act faster to protect our environment.
At Unilever, we started working through our multistakeholder model and collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders in the value chain to bring the desired changes. Although we are proud to share that we have collected over 7,000 tonnes of plastic waste from Chattogram and have ensured that 100% of the collected plastic is processed, this is not enough to improve Bangladesh’s overall plastic pollution. Hence, we have established a partnership with CCC and YPSA to bring economies of scale and increase our collection efforts.
Through our initiative, we have embarked on a journey that holds the promise of creating a better and more sustainable world for generations to come. It is my hope that through our efforts, we will move towards the vision of improving plastic waste management in Chattogram City.”
Arifur Rahman, CEO, Young Power in Social Action (YPSA), said, "YPSA started its journey from Chattogram, and we have been working for the development of this city for more than 3 decades. As the city has developed over time, the waste management, especially the plastic waste, has not developed at the same rate. This has resulted in waterlogging during monsoon seasons, as well as an increase in marine waste.
Thus, working in developing the plastic waste management system is a cause close to our hearts. The initiative is enhancing plastic waste management have yielded remarkable results in safeguarding our city's environment and fostering sustainable practices. It is a collective responsibility for each and every one of us to protect our environment and ensure the proper management of waste in Chattogram city. Let us rally behind the noble mission and create a clean and sustainable Chattogram City.”