A four-day international plastic summit-2016 kicks off today (Wednesday) aiming to create an avenue for the further development of the country’s growing plastic industry. Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BPGMEA) in collaboration with Chan Chao International Company Ltd of Taiwan is organising the event at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city. More than 300 companies from 12 countries will take part in the summit, which will be inaugurated by industries minister Amir Hossain Amu. A large number of foreign companies are participating in the event and they are expected to showcase a wide range of products, including machinery, technologies raw materials services to introduce those with the local entrepreneurs. Organisers are expecting an arrival of more than 11,000 professional buyers during this year’s event and around 60 to 70 foreign delegates have already confirmed their participation. Industry insiders are hopeful that the summit will create an opportunity for the local plastic manufacturers to have ideas about new technologies and products, which will ultimately help boost the sector. An International Plastic, Packaging and Printing Industrial Fair (IPF), a series of exchange of views meetings of the member countries, council meeting of APF, seminars and discussions on ‘Problems and Prospects of Plastic Waste Recycling in Bangladesh will take place during the summit, said organizers. BPGMEA president Jashim Uddin at the pre-event press briefing said the industry has a great prospect and the summit will create an opportunity for global suppliers, buyers and investors to exchange views with their local counterparts. Although the plastic fair is an annual event, this year has got new dimension, with the joining of Asia Plastic Forum. According to the BPGMEA president, the local plastic sector is now a sizeable industry consisting of about 5,000 manufacturing growing at the rate of more than 20 per cent each year for the last 20 years. About 99.6 per cent of these manufacturers belong to the small-medium category, he said, adding they have developed their businesses on their own initiative and finance. Majority of the factories are located in the two largest cities-Dhaka and Chittagong. Currently, the size of local market of the industry is about Tk 200 billion and approximately 1.2 million people are involved in the industry, of which 0.2 million are indirectly employed. This trend still continues as the demand for plastic goods has been rising continuously. Today, we can proudly say that most of the household plastic and packaging materials that are used in Bangladesh are being manufactured locally, said the BPGMEA leader. The issue of plastic waste management is expected to be well focused in the summit. Referring to a Waste Concern study of 2014, additional research director of Center for Policy Dialogue Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem said with rising income, plastic consumption has increased significantly in urban areas – from 5.56 kg per person in 2005 to 14.9 kg per person in 2014. This rise in plastic consumption has dramatically increased more waste with share of plastic waste in Dhaka city going up from 1.74 per cent in overall landfills in 1992 to 4.1 per cent in 2005 and to 6.5 per cent in 2014, he said.
