The environment-friendly jute polymer bag is coming soon in the country's market instead of harmful polythene bags.
The polymer bag, which is produced with jute fiber without any kind of plastic material, exactly looks like polythene. The price of local produced polymer bag will be cheaper than the imported perishable polymer bag.
It is expected that the price will come down day by day, when people will be habituated to use it. Its name has given 'Sonali Bag' (Golden Bag) as it made of jute fiber locally known as golden fiber. This bag is able to
carry goods of double weight compared to the polythene bags. It starts rotting in water for five hours, while abandoned bags are vanished in earth within five to six months.
Prominent Bangladeshi scientist Dr Mubarak Ahmad Khan, Chief Scientific Adviser of the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) discovered this perishable polymer bag from the cellulose of jute.
Under his supervision, a small quantity of the bag is being experimentally produced at the Latif Bawany Jute Mills Limited in BJMC, while preparation to start production in commercially is underway.
It is a matter of joy that, many local export-oriented industry owners have started offering advance for purchasing the product. Even, order for the bag has started to come from outside of the country like USA, Australia and Dubai. Not only as analternative to pollutant polyethylene bag, there is a huge potential of using the golden bag in the packaging sector.
Even after various efforts, the government could not stop the use of harmful polythene bags. Despite the ban, imperishable polythene bags are being sold and used everywhere in the country.
According to the statistics of the POBA, around 1.40 crore polythene bags are used in Dhaka city every day. If the polymer bag hits the market, there will be no demand of polythene bag.
Dr Mubarak Ahmad Khan said, "The preparation to commercially produce the newly-invented Sonali Bag is going on. Many local and foreign investors have showed interest to invest in this venture."He further said, the government is very sincere to provide all kind of supports to this end. But, it takes time to import some necessary machineries from abroad.
Machines, which are being used in the polymer bag production, are designed by Dr Mubarak Ahmad Khan. It is an outcome of his research for 20 years. Bangladesh Science Academy gave him gold medal in 2015 for inventing the polymer bag which is now on its way to market.
Earlier, the eminent scientist invented several goods including toilet ring-slab, chair table and helmet from jute polymer.
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