Plastic producers, importers and brand owners will now be responsible for collecting, recycling and disposing of plastic waste generated from their products under a new government framework aimed at reducing pollution and improving waste management.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Guidelines 2026 on 13 August, making the rules effective immediately.
The guidelines shift responsibility beyond the point of sale, requiring companies to remain accountable for plastic packaging even after it reaches consumers and becomes waste.
The rules apply to recyclable and non-recyclable plastic products produced or used in Bangladesh, covering manufacturers, importers and brand owners of listed products.
The scope includes common packaging such as PET bottles for beverages and water, shampoo sachets, food pouches, sauce packets and multilayer packaging used for snacks.
Companies will have to arrange plastic waste collection, recycling and disposal either individually or through joint systems. Failure to comply could lead to cancellation of environmental registration and suspension of operations.
The Department of Environment will gradually bring companies under the framework, listing large industries in the first two years, medium industries in the following two years and small industries in the fifth year.
Listed companies must register within six months. The registration will remain valid for three years and require annual progress reports for renewal.
The guidelines divide plastic products into five categories: rigid plastic, flexible plastic, expanded polystyrene and styrofoam, single-use plastic and other plastic products.
The first two years after registration will require companies to collect at least 15 per cent of their plastic waste and recycle 7.5 per cent. The targets will later rise to 30 per cent collection and 15 per cent recycling.
The collection targets will be based on the volume of plastic packaging produced or marketed by each company, with separate targets for different categories.
Companies collecting beyond their required targets will be able to trade additional recovery through government-approved plastic credit mechanisms.
The government expects the system to expand recycling infrastructure, bring informal waste collectors into a formal framework and support a circular economy.
Bangladesh generates around 8 lakh tonnes of plastic waste annually, while only about 40 per cent is recycled, according to industry data.
The move follows similar initiatives in the region. India introduced an extended producer responsibility framework in 2022, Pakistan introduced single-use plastic regulations in 2023 and Sri Lanka is moving towards a mandatory plastic waste management system.
For businesses, the new rules introduce a compliance obligation requiring companies to track the plastic packaging they introduce into the market and establish systems to recover and recycle a share of that waste.
