Committee for green growth & recycling to be formed for achieving industrial sustainability

Environment Secretary, Ziaul Hasan, has announced that two new sub-committees for green growth & recycling will be formed for achieving industrial sustainability.  

He said this at the virtual meeting of the 3^rd Sustainability and Green Growth Working Committee (SGGWC) on March 9 where different tools and Policies for Extended Producers Responsibilities (EPR) for the plastic sector were discussed. 

The meeting was presided over by Ziaul Hasan, Secretary of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), while Wasim Zakariah, Chairman of Standing Committee on Research & Development, BGMEA was present. 

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) will work closely with BUILD as well as other relevant stakeholders to ensure an effective policy on EPR for the plastic sector, said the Environment Secretary. 

He said, "We will form two new sub-committees on recycling and green growth under the existing Sustainability and Green Growth Working Committee (SGGWC). The two new platforms should hold regular discussions and deliberations on critical issues on sustainable development in the private sector.

We are seriously concerned over the issue of pollution control, in that respect in 2018 there was a SRO on EPR but it could not play proper role." 

BUILD Chairperson Abul Kasem Khan said, "In addition to recycling and management of waste, we also need to promote green growth through diversification and wider adoption of environment-friendly models and solutions such as jute-based pulp, bamboo-based fibre, bio-fuel from waste, and so on." 

At the beginning of the meeting, BUILD CEO Ferdaus Ara Begum updated the meeting with the progress achieved in the implementation of decisions of the Sustainability and Green Growth Working Committee. Md Tahmid Zami, Additional Research Director of BUILD made a presentation on EPR in the Plastic Sector of Bangladesh.  

Wasim Zakariah, Chairman of Standing Committee on Research & Development, BGMEA, Arif Faisal, Programme Specialist at UNDP Bangladesh, Muhammad Rashed, BSCIC, Nazmul Hassan, President of Bangladesh Pet Flakes Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BPFMEA), Syeda Masarrat Quader, Regional Sustainability Manager of H&M, Shamim Ahmed, former President of Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BPGMEA), Prof Engineer Abu Bakr Siddique, Dean at BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology, Swapan Kumer Ray, Principal Scientist of BCSIR, Abu Hasnat Md Maqsood Sinha, Executive Director of Waste Concern, Shamim Alrazi, Additional Secretary of the Environment Ministry, Nazmul Hasan, Director of Department of DOE spoke at the meeting.

The meeting was also attended by representatives from BSTI, BIDA, Ministry of Water Resources, Finance Division, Ministry of Industries, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Unilever, and many more.