Jute bags to replace Polythene shopping bags

Prof. M Zahidul Haque

Prof. M Zahidul Haque

In Bangladesh use of plastic/polythene shopping bags was banned in 2002 and through strict enforcement of law, shoppers and shop-keepers abandoned the use of poly bags to a greater extent. It may be indicated here that polythene is a form of plastic. But with the passage of time, production and use of poly shopping bags came back and now widely in use throughout the country.

Irrational use of plastic/polythene bags is causing an environmental havoc not only in Bangladesh but world over. Plastic/poly bags are contributing to the increase of greenhouse gas emission. These are clogging the drainage system, polluting water bodies plus blocking the nutrients flow/intake by plants on agricultural lands. Domestic animals are getting sick by ingesting plastic wastes.

Jute Bag Bangladesh

According to an international survey, 10 percent of the used plastics/polythene goes to the sea causing sea water pollution and putting marine life in jeopardy.

Appreciating the graveness of the problem, countries around the world have imposed ban on the production and use of plastic/poly bags through providing alternative eco-friendly biodegradable, re-usable natural fiber bags, such as, jute bags, cotton bags, etc.

Because of its 100% biodegradable property, jute bags made from jute plant fiber are getting popularity among the shoppers. In Bangladesh, jute is one of the major cash crops, popularly known as the ‘Golden Fiber’. The country has been producing an array of jute bags for home and international consumers. Jute bags are durable, reusable and above all environment-friendly. It may be mentioned here that eco-friendly jute bags and sacks are widely used as packing material. Bangladesh is not only a major jute producing country but a bona fide exporter of jute products.

Meanwhile a Bangladeshi scientist has invented easy biodegradable shopping bag made from the jute fiber which is being named as “Sonali Bag”. A pilot project was also taken to manufacturing environment-friendly Sonali Bags which is yet to produce sufficient number of Sonali jute bags which already generated a great local demand. There is a great scope for Bangladesh to capturing highly profiteering global shopping bag markets by producing sufficient quantity of biodegradable Sonali jute bags and to open a new avenue for earning foreign-exchange. It is gathered that the Sonali Bag project needs good investment and modern machineries to enhance production and marketing of the product.

In order to replace plastic bags by jute shopping bags, people must be given extension education to create awareness about the hazardous effects of using poly shopping bags on our environment rather on the entire ecosystem. 

Implementation of relevant laws prohibiting production and use of plastic/poly bags should strictly be enforced. At the same time necessary financial and technical supports need to be ensured for smooth production of Sonali Bags. 

(The writer recently retired as Professor was also a former Dean of Faculty of Agriculture at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka.)