The WHO FCTC COP-10 meeting held on February 5-10 with the participation of 183 member countries in the world has recommended the rapid ban of cigarette filters and vaporizers for greater implementation of Article 18 related to environmental protection. As a member of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control – FCTC, Bangladesh has an obligation to implement this decision.
To this end, a delegation of research and advocacy organization Pragya (Knowledge for Progress) and Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance – Atma met with Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury on Thursday, March 14.
Banning cigarette filters and vaporizers, classifying cigarette filters as hazardous plastic waste and curbing tobacco companies’ Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program at the fourth conference of the ‘Intergovernmental Negotiations Committee’ or ‘INC’ to be held in Canada from April 23-29 to prevent plastic pollution Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury expressed his conviction that Bangladesh will play an effective role in doing this.
Speaking to the media after a meeting with the delegation of USAID and Dhaka Calling at the Secretariat, the Environment Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said that the government is working to convert the country’s waste into resources. A program to produce fertilizer from waste is being taken up. From now on, USAID will collect waste from the slums of Dhaka to help the government.
The Environment Minister said that by 2025, around 50,000 metric tons of waste will be produced in various sectors in the country every day. In the future, not only the city, but the waste of all areas will have to be managed. By collecting these, government and private fertilizer production will begin. The minister said, why should we import quality fertilizer from waste? Fertilizer import will decrease if production of fertilizer from waste starts. This will save us a lot of foreign exchange.
The Environment Minister said that within the 100-day program of the Ministry of Environment, formulation of the National Waste Management Framework is a priority. He said, we are looking at the entire ecosystem of waste management. How it can be developed and implemented is being considered. For now, solid waste will be dealt with. Human waste, tannery waste, e-waste, medical waste will also be dealt with gradually. Initiatives will also be taken to recycle single use plastic. Considering the future needs, planning for waste management will be undertaken by identifying the site and acquiring the land.
Concerned about the waste management of Savar tannery, the environment minister said that the chromium obtained from the waste there is a serious risk to the human body. The Ministry of Environment wants to resolve the matter in discussion with the Ministry of Industry.
In the meeting, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry Joint Secretary and National Focal Person (Intergovernmental Negotiations Committee on Plastic Pollution) Mohammad Abdul Wadud Chowdhury, Senior Journalist Sukant Gupta Alok, Atma Convener Maturja Haider Liton and Co-Convener Nadira Kiran, Executive Director of Pragya, ABM Zubair participated in the meeting. Pragya’s Head of Programs Md. Hasan Shahriar offered the main presentation in the meeting.
