Bangladesh is a hotspot for plastic waste entering the ocean and was among the top 20 countries in 2016 with the highest volumes of mismanaged plastic waste generated by coastal populations – approximately 360,000 tonnes. Of the 87,000 tonnes of single-use plastic (SUP) waste produced annually, 86% is landfilled. Although plastic is the material collected in the greatest volume, only a small percentage (2.5%) is recycled – 20,000 tonnes out of total of 800,000 tonnes of all plastic waste.

Bangladesh has some policies and regulations in place to tackle this, but challenges persist. This factsheet summarises the findings from an UNCTAD report published in May 2022, Substitutes for Single-Use Plastics in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia: Case studies from Bangladesh, Kenya and Nigeria, and covers details specific to Bangladesh on the regulatory landscape, trade opportunities and policy recommendations relating to SUPs.