Cox's Bazar’s first plastic recycling plant inaugurated

Aiming to transform single-use plastic waste into valuable resources, the first municipal plastic recycling plant in Cox’s Bazar has officially begun operations. 

The facility, located in Mithaichori of Ramu upazila, was inaugurated by Mohammad Navid Shafiullah, additional secretary at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, on Thursday. 

In his inaugural speech, Mr Shafiullah said that the initiative represents a unique example of sustainable waste management. 

He hoped that such an initiative would be followed across the country in the near future.

Covering an area of 5,280 square feet, the recycling facility is capable of processing up to 200 kilograms of plastic waste per hour. 

To ensure environmentally friendly, safe, and uninterrupted operations, it is equipped with an Effluent Treatment Plant (2,000 litres/day), a solar power generation system, a fire safety system, an electric substation, and 24-hour CCTV surveillance.

Surveys have found that around 34 tonnes of plastic waste are discarded across the city every day. 

A significant amount of the plastic waste can be recycled by this plant, according to officials.

The recycling plant has been established under the PLEASE project and implemented by the South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) with support from the World Bank and UNOPS. 

In Cox’s Bazar, the project is being implemented by BRAC in collaboration with the Cox’s Bazar Municipality.

The plant is expected to create employment opportunities while supporting women waste recyclers as well as reducing plastic pollution in canals, wetlands, and coastal areas in the southwestern district. 

Environmental Specialist at the World Bank Bushra Nishat, Technical Adviser on Medical Waste at UNOPS Maysson Sallam, Administrator of Cox’s Bazar Municipality Nizam Uddin Ahmed, Executive Engineer at the Department of Public Health Engineering Ibne Mayaz Pramanik, Director at the Department of Environment Jamir Uddin, and Director of BRAC’s Climate Change, Urban Development, and Disaster Risk Management programmes Md Liakath Ali, among others, were present at the inauguration ceremony.