Environment Advisor Calls for Establishing Recycling Industry to Combat E-Waste

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, emphasized the need to establish recycling as an industry in Bangladesh to reduce electronic waste (e-waste). She made these remarks while virtually attending a seminar titled "Formal E-Waste Management" on Monday, marking International E-Waste Day.

The seminar was attended by Major General (Retd.) Md. Emdad Ul Bari, Chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), as a special guest. Suman Ahmed Sabir, Chairman of WEEE Society-Bangladesh, also delivered a speech. Professor Md. Shahinur Islam from the Chemical Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) presented the keynote paper.

Policymakers, environmental experts, and industry leaders discussed the challenges and potential solutions for managing e-waste in the seminar.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan urged consumers not to discard electronic products prematurely due to short-term trends. She highlighted the government's commitment to implementing the E-Waste Management Rules 2021, which would play a crucial role in managing electronic waste. She also called for the production of sustainable electronic products to reduce the harmful impact of e-waste on the environment.

In her address, the advisor encouraged all stakeholders to cooperate with the Ministry of Environment in effectively implementing the e-waste management regulations. She stressed the need for a coordinated e-waste management system, integrating both private sector initiatives and public participation.

Professor Md. Shahinur Islam raised concerns about the environmental and health risks posed by certain recycling processes, such as open burning, used for processing electronic waste.