This solution aims to reduce the amount of waste produced by the consumption of consumer goods through the use of wasteful packaging.
By standardizing and re-using consumer goods packaging, I estimate that Bangladesh would produce at least 40% less waste than it is currently producing. Moreover it will enable us to avoid dilemmas that many developed countries face as a result of wasteful consumer trends.
As the country is not yet fully drawn into a western style consumer market, there is a wide scope to intervene and help shape the future of how manufacturers and distributors present and deliver their products to the consumer. And in the process, Bangladesh can lead the world in ways that will help the environment, reduce pollution and create jobs for the masses.
The solution
1. All packaged consumer goods will be categorized according to similarities of the product, regardless of which manufacturer produced the item.
2. Standardised, re-usable packaging of high quality will be produced for each product category. For example, every fruit juice manufacturer will have to use the same standard packaging to deliver their product to the consumer.
3. Companies will be set up to collect used packaging for sorting and sterilisation so that the used packaging can be re-sold to the product manufacturers or packaging distributors.
4. To ensure that the consumer does not throw away the packaging, we will use the same method that Coca-Cola uses in Bangladesh: charge the customer extra for the packaging and refund the money if the empty package is returned to the shop where they were purchased. In addition, packaging collection companies will be able to provide a collection service to households for a slightly less refund than the consumer would get for taking the packaging back to the shop.
Other benefits
· Creates large companies to process used packaging, which will create a sizable number of jobs.
· Our local manufacturers are often not as successful in presenting their products the Bangladeshi consumers in the same way foreign companies do. With standardised packaging, small companies will not need to spend money on package design and will not need to make the product look attractive. This will give our local produce a better chance to succeed against foreign goods.
· We have a small landmass and cannot afford to reduce it any further by dumping things that decompose over hundreds of years.
· We are short of resources anyway, so we should not waste more than what we can afford.
· It is true that consumption fuels growth. But we do not need to accept this theory in its entirety. We can put a cap on consumption yet still find new and green ways to grow.
Use of the Bangladesh Standardization and Testing Institution
Bangladesh already has a standardisation body, which will oversee effective packaging designs, taking into consideration, quality, usability, weight, manufacturing costs, safety, ease of storage, ease of handling, ease of transport, cleaning etc.
Additional reading
Additional literature can be found here Household waste management in Dhaka, Bangladesh, written by Iftekhar Enayetullah
By standardizing and re-using consumer goods packaging, I estimate that Bangladesh would produce at least 40% less waste than it is currently producing. Moreover it will enable us to avoid dilemmas that many developed countries face as a result of wasteful consumer trends.
As the country is not yet fully drawn into a western style consumer market, there is a wide scope to intervene and help shape the future of how manufacturers and distributors present and deliver their products to the consumer. And in the process, Bangladesh can lead the world in ways that will help the environment, reduce pollution and create jobs for the masses.
The solution
1. All packaged consumer goods will be categorized according to similarities of the product, regardless of which manufacturer produced the item.
2. Standardised, re-usable packaging of high quality will be produced for each product category. For example, every fruit juice manufacturer will have to use the same standard packaging to deliver their product to the consumer.
3. Companies will be set up to collect used packaging for sorting and sterilisation so that the used packaging can be re-sold to the product manufacturers or packaging distributors.
4. To ensure that the consumer does not throw away the packaging, we will use the same method that Coca-Cola uses in Bangladesh: charge the customer extra for the packaging and refund the money if the empty package is returned to the shop where they were purchased. In addition, packaging collection companies will be able to provide a collection service to households for a slightly less refund than the consumer would get for taking the packaging back to the shop.
Other benefits
· Creates large companies to process used packaging, which will create a sizable number of jobs.
· Our local manufacturers are often not as successful in presenting their products the Bangladeshi consumers in the same way foreign companies do. With standardised packaging, small companies will not need to spend money on package design and will not need to make the product look attractive. This will give our local produce a better chance to succeed against foreign goods.
· We have a small landmass and cannot afford to reduce it any further by dumping things that decompose over hundreds of years.
· We are short of resources anyway, so we should not waste more than what we can afford.
· It is true that consumption fuels growth. But we do not need to accept this theory in its entirety. We can put a cap on consumption yet still find new and green ways to grow.
Use of the Bangladesh Standardization and Testing Institution
Bangladesh already has a standardisation body, which will oversee effective packaging designs, taking into consideration, quality, usability, weight, manufacturing costs, safety, ease of storage, ease of handling, ease of transport, cleaning etc.
Additional reading
Additional literature can be found here Household waste management in Dhaka, Bangladesh, written by Iftekhar Enayetullah