Welcome to PlasticPath: Building Bangladesh’s Response to the Plastic Crisis

Plastic pollution is one of the fastest-growing environmental challenges in Bangladesh. With rapid urbanization, increased consumption, and limited formal waste systems, plastic waste now clogs drains, pollutes rivers, and enters the Bay of Bengal. Microplastics are even being detected in fish, salt, and drinking water, threatening health, ecosystems, and livelihoods.

Understanding the Problem

Every year, Bangladesh generates over 800,000 tonnes of plastic waste—and only a fraction is formally recycled. The rest ends up in open landfills, burned in residential areas, or flushed into waterways. The informal sector plays a major role in collecting and processing plastic, often under unsafe and undervalued conditions. At the same time, coastal communities and fisherfolk face mounting challenges from marine litter, including plastic waste caught in nets or washing up on shores. Plastic pollution is not just a solid waste issue, it is a climate, health, and equity issue.

Why PlasticPath?

PlasticPath is a national digital platform that brings together data, tools, research, and resources to support a coordinated response to plastic pollution in Bangladesh. Developed by the Department of Environment (DoE) with technical support from UNIDO and funding from the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the platform aims to strengthen transparency, encourage innovation, and enable action across sectors.

PlasticPath serves as a shared space for producers, recyclers, policymakers, researchers, and the public to understand the landscape—and be part of the solution. Click to Read more