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Coca-Cola is the world’s top plastic polluter, second only to Bangladesh
Tahjeeb Hossain Chowdhury: Coca-Cola ranks as the top plastic contaminant among the global multinational corporate brands and second in Bangladesh. The Global Corporate Brand Audit Report of the “Break Free Plastics to Movement” movement titled “Branded: Search for the World’s Corporate Plastic Pollutants” published in October last year.
The movement’s member organizations recently conducted 239 cleanup operations in 42 countries on six continents between August and September, collecting 187,851 pieces of plastic contaminants. About 10,000 volunteers took part in cleanup operations conducted by 1,300 member organizations worldwide.
The inspection results showed that about 65% of all plastic waste collected was marked with a clean consumer brand, of which 33,613 pieces were multinational branded plastics. About 9,216 pieces of Coca-Cola, 5,750 pieces of Pepsi Co, 2,950 pieces of Nestle, 1,843 pieces of Danone and 1,664 pieces of Mandalay International brand were found.
Volunteers even found Coca-Cola-branded plastic waste “from break-free plastic” thousands of miles away from any habitat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. However, the world’s top plastic contaminant, Coca-Cola, came in second from the results of a cleanup involving 300 pieces of plastic bottles.
Shamima Akhter, Coca-Cola Bangladesh’s director of public relations and communications, said to the media “Both producers and consumers have responsibilities. We clean plastic through publicity every year as part of our social responsibility. “Consumers should also be more careful not to throw bottles in places that pollute the environment. Plastic is the primary concern behind seawater, but plastic bottles come from market demand”. “Consumers should change their behavior. Otherwise, it is not possible for a single organization to deal with environmental pollution. Coca-Cola has formulated a goal of collecting or recycling a number equaling each bottle, or the company move to sales of such materials worldwide by the year 2030, she added.
The Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) is a member of the “Break Free Plastics” movement, which organizes the only cleanup program in Bangladesh.
Plastics are the main concern for environmental pollution. Coca-Cola is recognized as a top contaminant because of the large number of bottles of their size and shape worldwide. Some of their bottles are recyclable and some are non-recyclable.
Coca-Cola recycles 20% of their plastic bottles worldwide. ESDO Secretary General Shahriar Hossain said to the media “Coca-Cola is polluting the environment and that is why they should be paid for the damage they are doing”. “The United States and the EU want to gradually ban plastics. This is not possible in a day or two, so they make laws and regulations to reduce plastic bottles and then ban them,” Shahriar added.
(The writer is a marketing graduate, content writer, and data science enthusiast from Dhaka, reach him at [email protected])
Photo Courtesy: Photo from Coca-Cola TV
July 26, 2020
Eco-friendly bricks are getting popular
Tahjeeb Hossain Chowdhury: Eco-friendly bricks in the form of concrete blocks are gaining popularity in Bangladesh as a way to reduce environmental damage by making conventional bricks. The House Building Research Institute (HBRI), a component of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, has been working for 40 years to develop alternatives to conventional bricks in the construction industry.
Md. Akhter Hossain Sarkar, Senior Research Officer, HBRI, said to the media so far, a total of 30 businesses have started commercial production of blocks built by the institute. “When we make people understand the harmful effects of clay burning bricks, they are interested in using concrete blocks,” Akhtar said.
According to the Bangladesh Brick Manufacturing Owners Association, about 7,000 clay burning brick kilns produce about 25 billion bricks per year, of which 1.27 billion cubic feet of topsoil is used. In Bangladesh, the economy heavily depends on agriculture and the top soil excavation has some alarming repercussions as a result, Akhtar said. Three years of barren lands and unproductive yields follow the excavation of top soil. The eco-friendly building materials used by HBRI do not require clay-rich topsoil.
Waterlogging, sand, cement and iron mesh from the bottom of the river, are the reasons for this Akhtar added. The company has made 25 types of bricks from arable land without using soil-rich topsoil. Some of the eco-friendly bricks are Narrow Stable Earth Block (CSEB), Interlocking CSEB, Concrete Blank Block (CHB), Thermal Block (TB), Aerated Concrete and Ferro Cement Sandwich Panel (ACFSP).
In recent years, the government has taken various initiatives to promote the use of building blocks made from alternative materials, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina even instructing government agencies to build their own structures with alternative bricks.
As part of this, HBRI is training local masons and encouraging brick kiln owners in different districts of the country to use this alternative construction material. “HBRI is training people who want to know about environmentally friendly technologies,” the government said. “We have already trained 4,000 construction workers and 1,000 civil engineers related to concrete bricks.” At a recent event in Dhaka, city planners and government officials said concrete blocks should be used as an alternative to brick kilns to balance the environment and protect agricultural land.
The main challenges are raising people’s awareness of eco-friendly bricks, opines HBRI researchers. Yet they also express disappointment at the fact that very few people know that the bricks can both reduce construction costs and reduce environmental impact. Professor Adil Mohammad Khan, general secretary of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), said it was important to train construction workers and ensure block standards were maintained to make eco-friendly bricks commercially viable.
(The writer is a marketing graduate, content writer, and data science enthusiast from Dhaka, reach him at [email protected])
July 25, 2020
National Environmental Writing Contest 2020 Launched
Any age of Bangladeshis, living here or abroad, are eligible to participate in the competition “ACI Pure Salt presents National Environmental Writing Contest 2020″. The writing category is open to writers but it needs related to environmental issue of Bangladesh. The length of write up is 450 to 600 words.
The champion of the contest will get couple return air ticket of Cox’s Bazar while the first runner up will get a Movie Projector and the second runner up will get couple dinner in a top restaurant. There are also attractive gifts available for fourth to tenth position holders. The submission deadline is on or before August 5, 2020 and interested persons are requested to visit bdenvironment.com/contest
The founder of bdenvironment.com Md. Ashraful Alam said that we are trying to aware people regarding environmental and climate change issues. We organize tree plantations, seminars, workshop and event so that people can be awarded. This contest is part of them. Together we can save the earth.
Incidentally, ACI Pure Salt is the title sponsor of this contest while Britto Communication as platinum sponsor, SMS Environmental alliance as Gold sponsor, Back Office as silver sponsor and EarthCare Club as strategic partner. Apart from this, Dainik Jugantor, The Asian Age, Channel I and Radio Today joined this national contest as media partner.
Moreover, bdenvironment.com is an environmental web portal that connects people to environmental & climate change issues of Bangladesh. It launched on June 8, 2013. From launch to now it organized around hundred events including tree plantation, waste management, seminar, workshop, contest to spread environmental awareness.
July 19, 2020
Plastic waste dumping risks the Bay of Bengal
Tahjeeb Hossain Chowdhury: As part of the South Asian Ocean Territory (SAS), Bangladesh is currently facing the worst situation of marine pollution due to plastics – one of the most polluted pollutants in the world and affecting the oceans. Plastic waste dumping risks the Bay of Bengal
Marine debris, including plastic waste, is a solid material found in marine and coastal areas, a solid material that is produced, processed, and is a major problem due to its harmful effects on the environment, wildlife and human health in the Bay of Bengal, according to a country report based on a review of scientific and policy documents, along with a recent preliminary survey of Bangladesh’s four beaches.
The report, entitled “Database, Proposed Recycled Enterprise and National Status with Marine Litter Intervention”, is the result of the South Asian Maritime Program (SASP)’s Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter in the SAS Region. According to the report, due to human activities, marine waste reaches from the land to the sea through rivers, drainage systems, wind action, and intentional or unintentional currents in the sea.
During the survey, a total of 6,705 pieces of waste products were found along the beaches of Bangladesh – Labni and Inani in Cox’s Bazar and Anandabazar and Patenga in Chittagong – 18.5 km long. The litter contained 63% plastic, 13% foam plastic, 2% cloth, 1% glass and ceramic, 1% metal, 9% paper and cardboard, 3% rubber, 1% wood and 7% other materials. Plastic bags are seen as the most common type of litter: at least 2,182 pieces of plastic bags were found on the beach.
The survey found 588 pieces of insulation and packaging foam, 470 pieces of cigarette butts and filters and 300 bottles. Survey bottle caps and lids, drums, jerry cans, buckets, disposable containers, straws, strutters, drink packaging, food containers, bags, gloves, cigarette lighters, syringes, baskets, crates and trays, mesh bags, fishing gear, different types of plastic waste. The report made several recommendations to bring down and control the reckless dumping of plastic waste on the beach.
According to the report, there are two sources of marine debris: sea and land. Sea-based sources include merchant ships, ferries and cruise liners, fishing ships, offshore oil and gas platforms, and fish farming facilities, and land-based sewage, municipal and industrial wastes. About 80% of the garbage on the beach, including industrial sources and waste, comes from secondary sources. Most of the industries in Bangladesh are located near major river systems like Buriganga, Shitalakshya, Balu, Turag, Karnafuli, Rupsha and Meghna – all of which end in the Bay of Bengal.
With proper management, these industries dump their industrial wastes directly into this river, which eventually ends up in the bay. Globally, plastic is one of the most dangerous pollutants in the oceans and seas. This is directly affecting the ecology and biodiversity of the oceans due to its non-biodegradable nature. Plastic lasts for a thousand years and contains about 90% of the world’s ocean debris.
Plastic kills one million seabirds and one million marine mammals and countless fish each year. Also, plastic litter called microplastics breaks into small pieces that affect humans after entering the fish and food chain through seabirds, marine mammals, and fishnets, and cages. Microplastic beads can also cause cancer in humans.
(The writer is a marketing graduate, content writer, and data science enthusiast from Dhaka, reach him at [email protected])
July 19, 2020
80000 crores allocated for food and agricultural imports
Every year a huge sum of money is being spent only on food imports. Bangladesh is still dependent on imports of edible oil, oilseeds, milk and dairy products, pulses, fruits, and spices. The World Bank says in an analysis of statistics on agricultural and food products imported into the country between 2015 and 2016, presented in the FAO’s annual statistics that Bangladesh is importing goods worth an average 720 crore dollars annually.
After conversion on the basis of the current exchange rate, the amount in Bangladeshi currency stands at more than 60,000 crores. If cotton imports are taken into account outside the figures presented by the World Bank, the cost of importing food and agricultural products will exceed 60000 crore taka. Bangladesh has spent more than 24000 crores on cotton exports in 2018-19 as well.
Data from the World Bank shows that more than half of the total import expenditure on other agricultural and food products other than cotton is spent on importing four products. Of this, 26 percent is spent on edible oil (18 percent on palm oil and 10 percent on soybean and other edible oils).
Apart from this, the cost of importing wheat and sugar is 14 percent and 11 percent of the total expenditure respectively. Moreover, 6 percent of the total expenditure is being spent on importing dried vegetables, 6 percent on rice, and 6 percent on soybean seed. Besides, 4 percent is being spent on milk and cream imports, 3 percent on maize, and 3 percent on animal feed.
In addition, oil cakes, apples, and other fruits, onions, and other spices cost 2 percent each, 1 percent is spent on importing seven products. These are citrus fruit, flour, wheat, ginger, saffron, turmeric, gram, and fish products.
Hamidur Rahman, a member of the expert pool of the Ministry of Agriculture and former Director-General of the Department of the Agriculture Extension (DAE), thinks that there is a huge import dependence on food and agricultural products although able to produce locally, that opportunity was not used in Bangladesh. This has also increased the pressure on the foreign exchange due to increased import dependence.
The Ministry of Agriculture is currently working to increase the cultivation of oilseeds and pulses, he said, adding that the period is being shortened by increasing the use of more high-yielding varieties in the Boro and Aman seasons. This will bring out several lakh hectares of land. Then it will be possible to possible to cultivate oil and pulses in these lands. Although wheat production has not increased at that rate due to weather conditions, opportunities are being used to increase production,
According to the statistics, in the 2018-19 financial year, against the production of 12 lakh tons of wheat, about 57 lakh tons have been imported. Due to a kind of stagnation in production, the cost of importing wheat has exceeded 9,500 crore taka. The same is true of edible oils and oilseed. The lion’s share of the demand for both types of products has to be met through imports.
About 20000 crore taka is going out every year for the import of these products. On the other hand, milk production in the country has doubled to 99 lakh tons in the last few years. But the demand is not being met. Even after this, there is a deficit of about 5 million tons. As a result, there is a kind of import dependence in this case as well. Given the right plan, it is possible to meet the demand for milk and dairy products through production locally.
With the food and agriculture imports coming in, it should be apparent that we are going to be better equipped for the post-COVID slump. It has been predicted by the pundits and gurus of the economics sphere.
(The writer is a marketing graduate, content writer, and data science enthusiast from Dhaka, reach him at [email protected])
July 12, 2020
“Understanding Your Emotions”
GreenPlanetClub, IUB: When the whole world was afflicted with the infectious disease named Coronavirus (Covid-19), this unnatural phenomenon led to many new circumstances that affected each and every aspect of our life. Along with this drastic change in our normal routine, it brought emotional distress as well. Adapting to the “new normal” may be altering our mental state in ways we are not fully aware of and this is where we need to assess our overall emotional wellbeing. Random thoughts and mood swings are prevalent in these situations but it is necessary to understand what extent of them is acceptable for our mental health.
In light of that, Green Planet Club (GPC) at the Department of Environmental Science and Management, School of Environment and Life Sciences, Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) hosted a virtual Inter-university workshop on Mental Wellness: “Understanding Your Emotions” on 3rd July, Friday.
The workshop was facilitated by the Rubayat Kabir, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Social Relations at East West University. In order to make the session interactive in nature, she prompted the participants to access the website PollEv.com where she shared various questions. She then went into the details based on their responses. She started by asking about their current emotional state. She then explained how each of us has the power to control our unpleasant emotions to a certain extent, and we can change it by applying some specific strategies.
To make it easier for the participants to understand she gave some real life scenarios and highlighted that if a person receives negative vibes from someone they can convert it to positive energy by simply applying some tactics. She then asked the participants to revisit any one of the unpleasant situations they had mentioned earlier and to apply the technique introduced in the workshop to try and see if they could reshape the scenario into a positive one. The objective of this activity was to make the participants realize how to better understand their emotions, stop to analyze, and then take the best action to resolve the displeasing emotions in a healthy way.
In the last part of the workshop, some of the members of GPC showcased their skills which they had learned and improved upon while being quarantined. The presenters talked about how the activities helped them overcome their negative emotions while they were practicing social distancing. Some dabbled in culinary and presented pictures of mouthwatering dishes they had made over the course of the past months. Rekindled interest in art and poetry had some members invest time in mandala sketches, paintings, digital arts and we were able to enjoy those and a poetry recitation as well. Lastly, two of the presenters also expressed how music helps them deal with difficult times and performed two beautiful songs for us. This concluded the online workshop.
July 6, 2020
Agriculture Budget of 2020
Tahjeeb Hossain Chowdhury: The budget declaration has always been a topic for discussion and more often than not debate among citizens, experts, even international mediums. That time of the year has come around again as the Bangladesh Budget for 2020-2021 has been made available from the public. Our agriculture is a strong driving force behind both our economy as well as our environmental balance as well. So it would be a good idea to take a look at the biggest takeaways from the Agricultural portion of the budget 2020-2021.
A firm concentration on the ongoing Covid-19 situation
A very noticeable part of what the budget entails is how much of it gives importance to tackling the ongoing pandemic. The agriculture part of it is no exception. As a part of the previously predicted food crisis due to the pandemic, the budget presents it as the ultimate challenge for the nation. The budget has emphasized on the continuation of activities for encouraging agriculture and bolster our self-dependence on rice that we have achieved. These activities along with. It also sheds light on the Amon and Boro bumper production and how we need more workers to get that paddy into the storehouses. Stress has been put on to invest effort and time into wheat production so that we can achieve proper standards.
To make accessories and necessary materials like seeds, fertilizer, cultivation tools and machinery more accessible for the COVID-19 crisis period was also a notable addition to the budget proceedings. To put it into better perspectives, bracing for the economic and operational impact of this pandemic was one of the key aspects of the agricultural budget.
Sustainable Cultivation and Innovation
Another notable addition to the budget was innovation and sustainable practices. Seeds of crops and produce that can withstand harsh weather was taken up in 2009. And now the efforts to continue the research has been mentioned in the budget which has 109 breeds.
The investment of 3198 crore towards mechanization of agricultural activities is a welcome addition. Deficits of 9500 crore and reinvestment of 5000 crore was also mentioned. And chemical fertilizer prices are to be stable during the fiscal year.
Fisheries and Livestock
Another part of the agricultural spectrum is also the Fisheries and Livestock breeding. Provisions for these is also quite visible. It talks about how we are self-sufficient towards fulfilling our protein demands. Also, the Covid-19 risk of not being able to fulfill demands in the lockdown environment was a topic of discussion. To rehabilitate the fisheries industry, the government will take the necessary steps in post-COVID times.
Deep-Sea Fishing activities
Another very notable addition to the budget is the deep sea fishing activities. The budget states the establishing of the “Marine Fishing Laws -2020” which entails fishing standards and regulations for doing business with such. The deep-sea fishing of Tuna has great potential although the activities have not begun yet. Sea Vessels to facilitate such fishing is to be collected according to the budget.
Funds into researching deep sea fishing, fish breeds along with poultry, livestock has also been mentioned. Innovations, inventions, patents of several researching has been added into the budget.
Food Security
To provide food for the populace during and after the COVID pandemic, provisions have been taken. Targets of 7.98 lakh metric tons of Amon, 8 lakh metric ton of boro, and 11.5 lakh metric ton of rice collection limit has been taken. The most affected corona victims have to be cared more along with people living below the poverty line. Provisions for their food have also been made in the budget.
The provisions for food security for 2020-2021 is 22, 489 crores which is an increment from last year (21,484 crores).
(The writer is a marketing graduate, content writer, and data science enthusiast from Dhaka, reach him at [email protected])
June 17, 2020
What is the Bangladesh Clean Air Act?
Tahjeeb Hossain Chowdhury: The Bangladesh Clean Air Act has been introduced and there are quite a few radical changes here of note. The well-documented issue of air pollution has come up again and again in the conscience of Bangladeshi Citizens and lawmakers. In recent years, Dhaka alongside New Delhi has been in the rankings as the top uninhabitable cities in the world. A major part of that can be chalked up to how much air pollutants have skyrocketed. The government has been taking isolated steps in order to reduce pollution. But this time it seems like the wheels have turned and the government has decided to concentrate their efforts into making air pollution reduced.
The Department of Environment along with The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyer’s Association have teamed up to draft the new Bangladesh Clean Air Act. This is in part done to help the preservation of air and reduction of Air Pollution across the regions of Bangladesh. This new set of regulations is a long time coming. It includes Jail time and Fines for violations of the clean air act regulations. With a varied set of rules, the act is said to have good provisions for encouraging preservation and threatening pollution activities
The Act has some notable highlights including:
- The Department of Environment will put together a National Air Quality Management Plan.
- The government can put out a declaration that an area is “critical” if the air quality deteriorates to an intolerable level, to deal with the restoration of the Air Quality
- Will initiate a 29-member advisory council with delegates representing different ministries and departments to monitor and recommend implementation of the National Air Quality Management Plan.
- A maximum jail time of 10 years or fine according to the severity or both as the punishments for violation of the law.
- In the case of faults and discrepancies by any government agency, the head of the said organization will be considered the guilty party for the violation. Further punishment measures will be dealt to the agency head.
The brick kilns, generators, and other sources of pollution have been recorded. It all comes down to the unchecked industrial work that goes into urbanization. But the Clean Air Act should bring order to the chaos and help in saving our citizens. Only time will tell if the execution is in line with the regulations.
(The writer is a marketing graduate, content writer, and data science enthusiast from Dhaka, reach him at [email protected])
June 15, 2020
Boro Rice procurement far from the target
Tahjeeb Hossain Chowdhury: Under the very dire situation of a Pandemic and multiple calamities, the collection and procurement of Boro Rice have been way off the mark. The government has ordered a portion of Boro that is way lower than the initial target projections were thought to be. With the condition of the Covid-19 getting more confusing and worse at the same time, it’s been discouraging to see dwindling numbers of Boro Procurement this year.
The Procurement drive had made some lofty goals in the buildup. The target of Boro Paddy Procurement was 800,000 tons this year. Only 7750 tons were procured by the director-general of food, which is less than one percent of the target in mind. In the case of Parboiled rice from millers, only 6% of the 1000,000 tons target was procured by the food office. The drive began on April 26 and would go up to August 21.
Farmer’s interest in selling to the market as high as the prices increased compared to the last year. The farmers were opting not to sell to public warehouses because of the government policy of not buying paddy above 14% moisture. With the targets of Paddy, Parboiled, and sunburn rice being twice the size of last year’s target, the purchase and procurement speed has been dismal, to say the least. The Directorate General of Food (DGF) has addressed the situation as undesirable and hopes to strengthen the purchase efforts in the remaining days of the drive.
The continuous rainfall, Cyclone Amphan, and the Eid holidays are to blame for the lackluster speed of procurement. The importance of procurement of Boro Paddy has reached apex levels as the pandemic requires more food stocks for the poor people in the coming days. With a 12% increase of food distribution for relief, Open Market Sale, and food-friendly programs for supporting the poor raised the volume to 24.5 tons within the last one year. The DGF itself has a stock limit of 19.5 tons of food.
While the targets are a far cry from the current procurement numbers, the food stock needs to be close to the target level. The country representative of International Food Policy Research Institute, Akhter Ahmed, emphasized this point of stocking up food for the coming days. The drive has been said to be on its way to success. The prices being high in the market coupled with the market being quite optimistic, this was the perfect time for the Farmers to cash in. Because of Government’s high purchase promise Millers stocked the public storages according to their commitments with the DGF.
IFPRI representative Akhter Ahmed has also advised the government to buy the paddy even if the moisture levels are higher than usual. Experts like MA Sattar Mandal have advised to stock up 20 lakh tons of food for the upcoming days. Covid-19 time is a testing duration and the people need proper stocks of food.
The DGF has further ordered officials to accelerate the Boro Rice procurement plans to get close to the target purchase.
(The writer is a marketing graduate, content writer, and data science enthusiast from Dhaka, reach him at [email protected])
Photo Courtesy: World Grain
June 7, 2020
Are Mountains the answer to handle floods better for Bangladesh?
Tahjeeb Hossain Chowdhury: Bangladesh has been a nation that has been plagued throughout its history, by a varied range of natural calamities. But one such natural calamity is more prominent in Bangladesh history than any other is the flood. Bangladesh has seen some of the most debilitating floods known to man. It is also a worrisome knowledge that a number of different variants of floods visit Bangladesh every year. But, David Molden, the director-general of International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, reckons that mountains may be a first-line defense against floods.
David Molden spoke about ICIMOD activities and how mountain development studies are going. After having finished a Kathmandu study, Molden has spoken at length about how the organization is engaging its stakeholders across the world. The policymakers, legislators, and key government officials hold the key to the execution of environmental development and ICIMOD has been in deep conversations with them.
The Assessment called “The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment; Mountains, Climate Change, Sustainability, and People” says how the melting of glaciers in the Himalayan Mountains can spell trouble for the surrounding regions. Molden also talked about the long-time relationship that ICIMOD has cultivated with Bangladesh over 36 years.
David Molden brings up how Bangladesh is especially vulnerable to floods and how the relations with upstream countries will help them craft policies and future actions. In Bangladesh’s case, the Chittagong Hill Tracts will be instrumental in combatting the floods. In the region, ICIMOD has eight partner countries in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.
Molden emphasizes how each of the mountainous regions can band together and come up with reciprocal actions to nullify man of the environmental hazards posed to the citizens. The report about the Himalayan Glaciers will hopefully shed a light on pressing problems regarding these eight countries.
As for Bangladesh, David Molden has continuously championed the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The mountainous region can fight off the flooding as the rest of the Bangladeshi terrain is the riverine delta. Molden has also connected the effects of climate change and how the countries and lawmakers need education about the implications of future flooding hazards in Bangladesh and other regions.
(The writer is a marketing graduate, content writer, and data science enthusiast from Dhaka, reach him at [email protected])
Photo: David Molden, Director General of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
Photo Courtesy: Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan/Dhaka Tribune
June 6, 2020