Plastic is one of the causes of river pollution
If we don’t stop producing plastic and polythene, the world will be overwhelmed by pollution in the next decade. This is the warning given by Norway’s Minister for International Development, Anne Beathe Tvinnereim.
On March 24, 2025, The Guardian reported that Anne Beathe Tvinnereim represents over 60 countries, including Rwanda and Norway, aiming to address plastic pollution.
She hopes for an agreement to reduce plastic waste and effectively combat pollution over time. But it is not possible for the opposing countries to reach such a treaty or agreement. Microplastics have recently been discovered in different human organs, including the uterus, testicles, semen, and arteries.
This highlights the extent of plastic and the health risks. The plastic crisis is a threat to human health, biodiversity and climate. Two years after 175 countries signed a historic agreement, progress in reducing the £712 billion global plastic industry remains stalled.
During his speech, Anne Beathe Tvinnereim emphasized the need for full use of plastic and waste management. At the same time, he also emphasized the need to reduce the production and use of plastic in the future.
The United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) reported that 73,000 tons of plastic waste are entering the ocean daily through Bangladesh’s Padma, Meghna, and Jamuna rivers.
In addition, waste from India, Nepal and China is flowing through the Ganges, Jamuna and Brahmaputra.
Such free use of plastic and polythene has caused various levels of damage. The excessive use of polythene is clogging drains and sewers in cities during the rainy season. Plastic and polythene pollution harms our ecosystem and land, threatening the survival of plants and animals.
Plastic and polythene accumulate on the seabed and cause serious damage to biodiversity and marine life. Abandoned plastic, turning into microplastics, enters the human body through air, water, and food. Due to this infiltration, it creates a risk of lung, kidney disease, and cancer in the long term.
Plastic materials can cause stomach issues, hormonal imbalances, liver problems, and potentially serious diseases like cancer.
The Buriganga, Turag, Shitalaksha, Balu, Karnaphuli, and Surma rivers are now among the most polluted in Bangladesh due to excessive dumping of polythene and plastic waste.
These rivers are dying due to polythene and plastic waste. On the other hand, 73 thousand tons of plastic waste is dumped into the sea every day through the Padma, Meghna, and Jamuna rivers.
If the current rate of plastic-polythene accumulation continues, there will be more polythene than fish in the sea in 50 years. 15 million pieces of polythene are being used every day in the capital alone. And there are about 150 factories across the country producing polythene.
Apart from polythene, the use of plastic in the country is also increasing at an alarming rate. The average per capita use of plastic in the capital is more than 24 kg per year.
This excessive use of plastic and polythene is destroying the environment, damaging rivers and seas. Plastic and polythene are clogging the country’s drainage system during the rainy season, leading to health issues.
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Bank have presented various pictures of the extent to which the use of plastic and polythene is increasing in the country. In 2005, the annual per capita consumption of plastic in urban areas of the country was only 3 kg.
That has increased to 9 kg in 2020. Currently, the annual consumption of plastic per person in the capital alone has exceeded 24 kg.
The Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995has banned the production, marketing, transportation, and use of polythene bags in the country since 2002.
Bangladesh was the first country in the world to ban the use of polythene.The (Poribesh Bachao Andolon (Save the Environment Movement)-POBA surveyed the number of illegal polythene factories across the country.
The survey showed that there are about 1,500 banned polythene factories across the country, including the capital. Most of them are centered in the capital’s Old Dhaka and Gazipur.
