Press Room
Press Release: Youth Empowerment Camp for Sustainable Future to Tackle Single-Use Plastic Pollution
Dhaka, January 10, 2024 – In a dedicated initiative to combat the rising challenge of single-use plastic pollution, the Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO in collaboration with GAIA successfully organized the "Youth Empowerment Camp for Sustainable Future." This transformative event took place in Dhaka and Rangpur, targeting 60 selected students during the Refuse Single Use Week. During this week, people can actively focus on refusing single-use items and opting for reusable alternatives, with a particular emphasis on reducing plastic pollution.
Press Release: ESDO calls for a stop to plastic-laminated posters in election campaigns
Dhaka 27 December 2023: The Chief Election Commissioner is being asked by the ESDO to not use plastic laminated posters for election campaigns. The high court ordered to ban it in 2020 in response to environmental and social development organizations' concerns
Press Release: Youth Take the Initiative to Unveil the Top Plastic Polluters of Bangladesh! Brand Audit-2023
Dhaka 30 September 2023: To identify the plastic polluters in Bangladesh, Environment and Social Development Organization – ESDO conducted a Brand Audit today. This brand audit was conducted in two major cities of Bangladesh; Dhaka and Rangpur, engaging the school students, girls' guides & boys’ scouts of each city. The volunteers collected around 158 kg of single-use plastic wastes during the audit.
Press Release: Experts are urging a prompt ban on single-use plastic and reinforcement of laws
Dhaka 30 August 2023: Environmental activists and experts urge an immediate nationwide ban on single-use plastic with strict enforcement. Today, in Dhaka, Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) is hosting a policy dialogue on "Plastic Pollution Towards Plastic Treaty Negotiation."
Press Release: Mobile Campaign to Observe Plastic-Free July - Be Part of the Solution to Reduce Plastic Pollution
To observe Plastic-free July, a day-long mobile campaign was inaugurated by Environment and Social Development Organization- ESDO on July 8, 2023, in various locations in Dhaka city. Throughout this mobile campaign, an appealing message of ‘Combat plastic pollution’ was effectively spread to raise awareness about the pressing need to end plastic pollution.
Press Release: Plastic INC-2 finished with a roadmap for INC-3, Making a "zero draft" of the new treaty for INC-3 to review
Dhaka 15 June 2023: Plastic INC-2 finished up by laying out a roadmap for the time in between meetings leading to INC-3, requiring the creation of a “zero draft” of the new treaty for review at INC-3. Allocating a day to discuss the synthesis report of elements not thought of during INC-2 prior to the meeting. Representing Global Plastic INC-2, Dr. Shahriar Hossain, Secretary General of ESDO provided an overview of the meeting's results today (Thursday) in the media briefing, press briefing organized by Environment and Social Development Organization.
Press Release: Book Launching Ceremony for the “Plastic-free Campus” project
Dhaka 22nd May 2023: The Plastic-Free Campus Project could be the answer to beating plastic pollution. The younger generation is the driving force pushing for a shift away from the plastic culture and toward alternatives. Yesterday, the Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO, partnered with MTBL and MAUSHI, held a book launching ceremony for the Plastic-free Campus Project. During the ceremony, experts and policymakers shared their views.
Press Release: To Enhance Sustainable Environment ESDO Initiate “Plastic-Free Campus”
To ensure a sustainable environment the Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO initiated a project “Plastic-Free Campus”. For this perspective, an inception workshop was officially initiated yesterday Sunday in Dhaka. This initiative aims to build second-generation leadership, inform the young generation of the toxicity of plastic, and prepare young students to refuse single-use plastic.
Press Release: Historic Global Plastic Treaty should change the tragic tale of our River
Each day, 18 transboundary rivers in Bangladesh carry approximately 15,345 tons of single-use plastic waste. 2802 tons, which originate from India and Myanmar. 2519 tons come from India and 284 tons from Myanmar. According to an ESDO study, nearly half a million tons of single-use plastic waste enter our Bay of Bengal every year. A dialogue was conducted at a Dhaka hotel on Sunday to reveal the study results.
Press Release: Dhaka City streets is flooded with single use plastic waste
The streets of Dhaka City are covered with single-use plastic waste. Environment and Social Development Organization – ESDO conducted a two-day Brand Audit where around 48.7 kg of single-use plastic waste was found. ESDO conducted this Brand Audit as an initiative to measure the number of different brands that can be found in plastic waste.
Press Release: ESDO and Green Voice jointly conducted Brand Audit in Chittagong City
Chittagong city and Potenga Beach are littered with single-use plastic waste. Environment and Social Development Organization – ESDO in association with Green Voice conducted a day-long Brand Audit at Chittagong University and its surroundings and Potenga Beach to reveal the mask of the corporates who are responsible for plastic pollution.
Press Release: Cleanliness program and Brand audit completed in the joint initiative of Development Studies Discipline and ESDO in Khulna University
The streets of Khulna city are covered with single-use plastic waste. On the occasion of World Cleanup Day 2022, Environment and Social Development Organization – ESDO jointly with Khulna University conducted a day-long Brand Audit at Khulna University premises and its surrounding area to reveal the mask of the corporates who are responsible for harming our environment.
Press Release: Ban Single-Use Plastic: Protect Environment and Health
“Single Use Plastic is the most toxic pollutant in the plastic waste stream, to protect ecosystem and public health it is an urgent need to Ban SUP Immediately”. Activists and experts urged the government to initiate necessary step to ban single use plastic in Bangladesh. To address this need and to observe ‘International Plastic Bag Free Day 2021.’Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO, in collaboration with Plastic Solution Fund - PSF organized a virtual session to launch a network on “Bangladesh Network for Banning Single-Use Plastic” and invited the different organizations to join this group to work united against plastic pollution.
Press Release: Huge Use of Poly Bag: 78 Thousand Tons of Waste in a Year
According to a recent study more than 78 thousand tons of poly bag waste generated in one year of pandemic in Bangladesh and Illegal production of poly bag goes up half a million a day. ESDO unveiled the study finding in a Policy Briefing and Dialogue on “Enforcement of Law on Polythene Bag Ban: Restore the Ecosystem” virtually.
Press Release: International Plastic Bag Free Day Observed- Experts urge immediate enforcement of bag ban law Globally
On the occasion of “International Plastic bag free day 2020”, experts and activists from around the world emphasis on plastic bag ban regulation and enforcement. Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO organized a virtual discussion to highlighting the urgency and importance of enforcement of plastic bag ban law in Bangladesh and beyond.
Press Release: COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak 14,500 Tons of Hazardous Plastic Waste in a Month
ESDO has conducted a Study on these facts titled “COVID-19 Pandemic Pushes Single Use Plastic Waste Outbreak: No Management, No Protection: High Health and Environmental Risk Unveil”, which focuses exclusively on hazardous plastic waste emerging from the use of single use plastics protective gauges in communities and health care facilities. The findings of the study were disclosed through a press briefing arranged virtually by Environment and Social Development Organization at 11.30 am today.
Press Release: DNCC & DSCC Election Posters waste gets 2500 Ton -More Than Ten Thousand Tons of laminated plastic waste generated in Dhaka city yearly
More than ten thousand ton of laminated plastic waste is generated from different sources in Dhaka every year, which causes health hazards and environmental havoc. ESDO has conducted a Study on “Thermal lamination films: An Incising Health Hazards and Environmental Havoc of Dhaka City”, which focused exclusively on laminated posters, leaflets, stickers being used in the city. Study findings were disclosed through a press briefing arranged by Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO on 28 January, 2020, Tuesday at its Head Office.
Press Statement on "ESDO Hails High Court Ruling Ban on Single-Use Plastic"
We are grateful to the High Court of Bangladesh for their ruling (06 January,2020) on enforcement of existing ban on polythene bags and failure to control use of single use plastic and, order to develop & implement work plan to control use of single use plastic & find safe alternatives by 2021.
5 Global Plastic Polluters has been identified!
Dhaka, 14th November, 2019: The top 5 global plastic polluters are Coca-Cola, Unilever, Nestle, Pepsico, Mondelez International has been identified. The global contributors to the plastic pollution identified from the brand audit conducted by Break free from plastic globally in September, 2019. As part of Global Week of Action under the Break Free from Plastic movement, Environment and Social Development Organization- ESDO has organized a human chain by demonstrating against the top 5 corporate plastic polluters on Thursday in front of the National Press Club.More than 100, team members of ESDO, Girls’ Guide and media have joined in this human chain.
Single Use Plastic: Hidden costs of Health & Environment in Bangladesh
Dhaka, 3rd November, 2019: Every year, about 87,000 tonnes of single-use plastic are thrown away in Bangladesh. The findings revealed from ESDO study. Considering the serious health and environment impact, single use plastic needs to be banned as soon as possible. An awareness and consultation workshop entitled “Single Use Plastic: Hidden Cost of Health and Environment” was organized by Environment and Social Development Organization- ESDO on Sunday at Four Seasons Restaurant, Dhaka.