Project Brief: Creating Value from Plastic Waste in Bangladesh

The main objective of the project is to increase and improve employment through creating a new market for single use plastic waste that currently has very limited commercial value. is project will transform the lives of informal waste workers, create new jobs, and reduce plastic waste pollution. e project contributes towards SDGs 11.6 (reduce the adverse impact of cities) and 12.5 (by 2030 substantially reduce waste generation) by promoting a business model, which will improving working conditions, creating dignified jobs, attracting national-level investment, and promoting responsible and profitable single-use plastic recycling.
e project assists waste-worker groups in Faridpur and three other towns in collecting single-use plastics from households, businesses, dumps, and rivers. Plastics will then be pyrolyzed into light synthetic fuel oil and black carbon, which will be sold locally.

Furthermore, to reduce river-based plastic pollution, which would flow into the Indian Ocean, the Project will install a floating litter trap to remove plastic from the river. e plastic collection will provide job opportunities and income to waste workers, while the sale of oil will ensure the sustainability and financial viability of the pyrolysis business.

The waste sector in Bangladesh is not well-regulated, and manypeople, particularly female waste pickers, have multiple jobs,with waste collection being a part-time job that fits aroundother responsibilities. e project's goal is to integrate wastemanagement into municipal structures, work with existingwaste management processes, and partner with other wasteactors to create new ideas and achieve both business and social benefits.