# 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 INC-5 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 nation’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.


## GPAP’s collaborative model

The partnership between GPAP and Bangladesh is driven by a multistakeholder approach, led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of Bangladesh.GPAP will support the nation 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.


### 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.

[Contact us](mailto:plasticaction@weforum.org)


## Cross-Sector Support


*Partner organizations and sponsors*


*Partner organizations and sponsors*


*Partner organizations and sponsors*