The government has banned the use of polythene and polypropylene bags in supermarkets starting from 1 October.
As an alternative, supermarkets will be required to stock and sell jute and cloth bags to customers, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, stated on Monday.
To support the initiative, students will be involved in its implementation, she added.
The announcement came following a meeting between the environment advisor and various stakeholders, where they discussed a work plan to enforce the ban on polythene bags.
The advisor further mentioned that the Ministry of Textiles and Jute will hold a meeting with all supermarket chains within the next week to ensure the supply of jute shopping bags and take necessary actions to facilitate the transition.
The Department of Environment, in partnership with ESDO, will organise a fair by 30 to bring together producers of environmentally friendly alternatives, including jute and textile bags. This fair will allow supermarket authorities and producers to discuss supply and demand needs.
The meeting was chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, and attended by additional secretaries, the Director General of the Department of Environment, representatives from other ministries, and various supermarket chains
