Beating plastic pollution: Local startups build businesses around waste

Plastic is found everywhere nowadays. If you have missed the memo somehow, you cannot possibly imagine exactly how broadly the term "everywhere" is being used here. 

Last year, microplastics were detected in human breast milk for the first time, reported The Guardian, alongside other news outlets. The breast milk samples were taken from 34 healthy mothers, and microplastics were found in 75% of them.

Earlier, microplastic pollution was detected in human blood, with particles found in 80% of the people tested.

These are consequences of irresponsible consumption and disposal of plastic products, which eventually lead to disintegrated plastic particles finding their way into our food, drinks and even the air we breathe.

Plastic has become part and parcel of modern life due to its extremely low production cost and convenience. But now, the planet is drowning in plastic waste. Over 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year, half of which is single-use. Less than 10% of this is recycled. As a result, an estimated 19-23 million tonnes of plastic ends up in lakes, rivers and seas. 

Today, plastic constitutes one of the gravest threats to our planet. While these concerns are growing, the good news is that, so are the efforts to solve the problem across the world. Joining these efforts are young entrepreneurs from Bangladesh.

Like every year, World Environment Day is celebrated today (05 June). This year's theme is "Solutions to Plastic Pollution" under the campaign slogan #BeatPlasticPollution. On this day, we feature the work of two local environmental startups in Bangladesh trying to solve plastic pollution.

Plastile: Making tiles from recycled plastic 

Plastile is a startup that aims to produce and market plastic tiles for walkways, pavements, parking areas etc, by recycling single-use plastic such as polythene bags and shampoo bottles.

This way, these throw-away plastic products can be stopped from ending up in landfills or washing up in the oceans. 

The idea is being implemented by Md Mostakin Rabbi, an Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) graduate from the Independent University of Bangladesh and founder of Plastile. Mostakin says, "there is a demand for about 20 crore pieces of tiles, especially for footpaths and walkways," and believes this can be a good market for recycled plastics.

The problem, however, is the price of concrete and plastic tiles are nearly the same. While Mostakin has been looking at creative solutions to minimise cost, he points out there are long-term cost advantages to using recycled plastic tiles.  

The plastic tiles designed and manufactured by Plastile can be interlocked together, so the customers do not need cement to install the tiles, reducing the installation cost. This also means reduced time. 

For example, where installing a certain amount of concrete tiles takes seven to eight days, the plastic tiles could be installed in one day. So even the labour costs would be much less, compared to using cement tiles.  

"Due to the no cement requirement and 60% less construction time, customers can save more than 30% of their construction cost," added Mostakin. Plastile also designs and manufactures innovative home decor and interior products, including facades and wall claddings, using recycled plastic. These not only enhance the aesthetics of any space, but also contribute to a greener future by reducing waste and promoting the circular economy. 

The path to recycling is not a smooth one. Mostakin says people rarely show interest in the environmental benefits of a product. So he is trying to offer customers a product where they can save time and money. 

The primary target for Plastile is the government agencies as they generally oversee footpath construction. The long-term goal Mostakin has for Plastile is to tap into the market for plastic tiles in the West, since he is not really that hopeful about the market growth of plastic tiles in Bangladesh. 

Mostakin hopes to export his products in future and collaborate with companies like IKEA. "In fact," he said, "I already sent our files to IKEA to be listed as their supplier."

GarbageMan: 'Trash to Cash'

GarbageMan, launched in 2017, offers a modern, scientific and efficient approach towards waste management. 

Its founder, Fahim Uddin Shuvo, believes it is essential to raise awareness among people about the importance of sorting waste (this can be household waste, office waste, etc) and encouraging recycling. 

To do this, Fahim started the idea of GarbageMan as a pilot project on the rooftop of his house, with just 12 families. He taught those families how to segregate waste between organic and inorganic. 

Photo: Courtesy

In 2018, GarbageMan launched its first product - vermicompost - made of recycled organic waste. It helps grow plants faster, maintains the soil's pH level and keeps it moisturised.

According to GarbageMan, one kilogram of this vermicompost helps reduce around three kilograms of waste from ending up in landfills. 

Not only this, but GarbageMan also focuses on plastic recycling. 

The startup provides a modern solution titled 'Trash to Cash'. Through this, in exchange for the waste they share, users receive discount coupons as a token of appreciation, which can be used later for certain purchases.

Users must segregate their trash, save recyclables, including plastic, paper, glass, and aluminium, and notify GarbageMan using the GarbageMan BD app to collect the items. Designated volunteers then pick up the material from the provided address. Users can also set a schedule for this procedure.

As this recycling chain is more scalable and economically viable, GarbageMan is working towards empowering local scrap dealers and formalising the entire process. GarbageMan has also made efforts to train and build up the capacity of scrap dealers in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) since 2019. The training aims to help scrap dealers handle the recycling model safely and make their business model approachable.

Photo: Courtesy

GarbageMan's primary target is now capacity building so that they can increase the volume of waste recycling in the future. According to Fahim, in the near future, GarbageMan aims to recycle 150-200 tons of waste per month. Currently, they recycle 50-60 tons of waste every month. 

The solutions by these two social enterprises, Plastile and GarbageMan, are important steps towards tackling plastic pollution in Bangladesh. Accelerating such action and transitioning to a circular economy is vital to building a cleaner and healthier planet for all. 

Both of these startups were selected for the Springboard Programme of Youth Co: Lab, an initiative co-led by UNDP and Citi Foundation, which incubates youth-led startups with mentorship, grants, and networking support.