Barishal city turning plastic waste into resources

Highlights:

• The monthly transaction in the sector is around Tk10 crore.
• The daily transaction of a factory varies from around Tk80,000 to Tk1,50,000. 
• At present, there are 20 factories in different areas of the city.
• Around 3,000 people are involved in collecting plastic waste and recycling it in factories.

Recycling plastic waste, apart from helping Barishal city manage the non-degradable waste properly, has become a profitable business over the last 20 years.

The monthly transaction in the sector is around Tk10 crore, according to owners of plastic recycling factories in the city.

The daily transaction of a factory varies from around Tk80,000 to Tk1,50,000. 

Currently, there are 20 factories in different areas of the city.

Each factory produces around two to four tonnes of plastic flakes every day, requiring two to four tons of plastic waste.    

"A kilogramme of plastic flakes sells for Tk25 while the production cost is about Tk15 per kg," said Abdus Sobahan, the owner of a factory at Hatkhola in Barishal city. 

There is demand for plastic flakes in Dhaka, used to produce different types of plastic goods there, according to Sobahan. 

Usually, demand remains high round the year, but when plastic flakes are imported, demand falls. 

However, the number of factories has increased over the years due to the growing demand for plastic flakes, said Sobahan.

Each of the factories employs around 100 people and around 3,000 people, including plastic waste collectors and factory workers, are involved in this sector.

"If the plastic recycling factories were not established here, we would have to carry the waste to Dhaka and we would earn very little by selling it," said Rashedul Islam, a plastic waste seller in the city. 

"We get good prices for plastic waste as many factories have been buying the plastic from us," said Sakil, a waste collector in the Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital area.