Plastic waste is one of the most visible environmental challenges in Cox’s Bazar, where a tourist economy and one of the world’s largest refugee settlements sit side by side.
Why a baseline matters
Before any programme can reduce plastic waste, it needs to know how much waste is produced, what it is made of and where it ends up. A baseline survey provides that starting point and lets future progress be measured.
What the survey covered
- A waste audit to measure the types and quantities of plastic waste
- Mapping of collection points, informal dumping sites and recycling routes
- Registration of waste workers, many of whom work informally
- Interviews with households, shopkeepers and community leaders
The role of waste workers
Informal waste pickers recover much of the plastic that is recycled. Registering them is the first step towards safer working conditions, fair prices and their inclusion in formal waste management.
From findings to action
The results give programme planners a clear picture of where plastic leaks into the environment and which interventions — collection, segregation, recycling or reduction at source — will have the most effect.
Water Exchange carries out baseline surveys, waste audits and evaluations for development partners and NGOs across Bangladesh.
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