Bangladesh

Advancing sustainable growth through targeted action on solid waste and plastic pollution.

Challenges and Opportunities

As Bangladesh continues to urbanize rapidly, its plastic consumption and pollution have surged alarmingly. From 3.0 kg in 2005, the annual per capita plastic consumption in urban areas has soared to 9.0 kg by 2020.

The mismanagement of plastic waste is visibly impacting urban and rural landscapes alike, clogging city drains and exacerbating flooding. Moreover, the slow degradation of plastics into microplastics presents persistent threats to human health, marine life, and broader ecosystems.

To tackle these environmental challenges, Bangladesh has been at the forefront of combating plastic pollution.

It became the first country globally to ban plastic shopping bags in 2002. The adoption of the Jute Packaging Act in 2010 further underscored its commitment by promoting jute as a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging. 

Progressing further, Bangladesh developed the National Action Plan for Sustainable Plastic Management, aiming for ambitious targets: recycling 50% of plastics by 2025, reducing single-use plastics by 90% by 2026, and cutting plastic waste generation by 30% by 2030.

Bangladesh Joins the Global Plastic Action Partnership

Achieving these ambitious targets requires a cohesive effort, integrating the roles of diverse stakeholders. 

At the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, held in Busan, South Korea, in November 2024, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of Bangladesh announced its collaboration with the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP), reinforcing the country's commitment to tackling plastic pollution and advancing a sustainable, green economy.

This partnership will support the country to develop a multistakeholder platform and robust governance framework for translating its commitment into effective, tangible actions that mitigate plastic waste and pollution across the nation.

Launch of the Bangladesh National Plastic Action Partnership

In October 2026, Bangladesh officially launched its National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP), led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

NPAP Bangladesh brings together government, business, academia, civil society and waste-sector representatives to strengthen national efforts to tackle plastic pollution and advance the transition to a circular plastics economy.

Building on Bangladesh's existing policies, technical expertise and recycling initiatives, the collaboration aims to connect national efforts and bring together reliable data and insights to identify priorities for action.

This work will inform the development of a nationally owned Plastic Action Roadmap, helping align policy, investment and implementation while promoting the participation of communities and informal waste workers.

By strengthening collaboration across sectors, NPAP Bangladesh aims to advance practical solutions to plastic pollution while supporting resource efficiency, stronger domestic value chains and new economic opportunities through circularity.

NPAP Bangladesh Secretariat

The NPAP Bangladesh Secretariat is hosted by the UNDP Bangladesh, in partnership with the Global Plastic Action Partnership of the World Economic Forum.

Let's Connect

Do you work for a government, business, intergovernmental organization, or civil society? Join forces with GPAP to fast-track our collective progress towards a world free of plastic waste and pollution.

Cross-Sector Support

Global Plastic Action Partnership

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