BPCL launches AI, blockchain waste tracking system

Bangladesh Petrochemical Company Limited (BPCL) has introduced an AI-powered blockchain traceability system and a Recycling Business Unit (RBU) model to modernise plastic waste management across the country.

Under the World Bank-funded PLEASE Project, BPCL has set up seven RBUs in Feni, Cox's Bazar, Rupganj, Siddhirganj, Bogura, Chattogram and Cumilla, recovering more than 617 metric tonnes of plastic and creating employment for 5,615 people so far.

The initiative was showcased at a learning dissemination workshop titled "Decarbonising Bangladesh's Plastic Waste: Innovative Solutions for the Circular Economy", held on Monday, 30 March at the Renaissance Dhaka Gulshan Hotel. BPCL Managing Director and CEO Khadem Mahmud Yusuf presented the project's progress, while videos highlighting the company's innovations were screened, followed by an open discussion.

The workshop was attended by Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo as the chief guest. Guests of honour included Dr Fahmida Khanam, additional secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Sudhir Muralidharan, country manager of UNOPS Bangladesh; and Ahsan Zaman Chowdhury, managing director and CEO of Trust Bank PLC.

Representatives from the embassies of Sweden and Hungary, Unicef, ILO, UNDP, UNOPS, IFC, ADB, Cordaid, IUCN and Practical Action were also present, along with senior officials from the Department of Environment, Coca-Cola, Transcom, LafargeHolcim and Arla, as well as representatives of other government and private organisations and academics from leading universities.

Mintoo said banning plastic alone cannot solve the crisis, as plastic is deeply embedded in daily life. He called for greater investment in recycling infrastructure and innovation, and reaffirmed the government's commitment to transforming waste into a resource.

Dr Fahmida Khanam reaffirmed the government's support for BPCL's work and said the ministry was ready to provide the necessary technical assistance, particularly in solid waste management.

Professor Dr Melita Mehjabeen of the Institute of Business Administration at the University of Dhaka recommended bringing the full waste management operation under a structured financial model and praised BPCL's approach to securing sustainable buyers.

Sudhir Muralidharan described BPCL's innovations as among the brightest he had encountered, praised the organisation's consistent execution and called for the model to be scaled up nationally.

Nayoka Martinez-Bäckström, first secretary at the Embassy of Sweden, praised the supply chain BPCL has built from the level of individual collectors, describing it as a difficult task made to look straightforward.

Jacob Fink Ferdinand, green growth programme specialist at UNDP, commended BPCL's digital architecture and called for close government monitoring to ensure effective implementation.

Dr Michael Klode, head of projects at GIZ, highlighted the importance of economic inclusion in the waste management ecosystem. He said the environmentally friendly PET delivery model is economically viable and noted that individual-level tracking remains a complex issue requiring closer government attention.

The workshop highlighted that BPCL's AI-driven tracking system, integrated with blockchain technology, enables real-time monitoring of the process from PET waste collection to recycling, ensuring transparency and accountability.

BPCL said the project has increased informal waste pickers' net profit per kilogram from Tk2 to Tk3. Implemented in partnership with CDIP, the project has also provided free healthcare to 1,404 informal waste pickers, free childcare facilities for 70 children, and life skills-based education training to 1,475 people.