UNDP Beach Campaign Removes Over 1.1 Tonnes of Waste from Cox’s Bazar Shoreline

Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh | 26 March 2026 — A three-day beach clean-up and awareness campaign led by UNDP Bangladesh under the Plastics Circularity Project removed 173 bags and sacks of waste weighing over 1,168 kilograms from Cox’s Bazar sea beach, while directly engaging more than 3,500 tourists and indirectly reaching over 20,000 tourists each day through public awareness and outreach activities.  Implemented from 24 to 26 March 2026 with support from The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) and in collaboration with the Cox’s Bazar District Administration, Cox’s Bazar Municipality, Tourist Police, Beach Management Committee, and other local partners, the campaign combined large-scale clean-up, public awareness, volunteer mobilization, and stakeholder engagement to tackle post-festival waste pollution and encourage responsible tourism. The campaign was launched on 24 March at Sugandha Beach Point, bringing together government officials, local authorities, UNDP representatives, volunteers, and partners in a joint call to protect the world’s longest natural sea beach from plastic pollution and unmanaged waste.

 Speaking at the inauguration, Md. A Mannan, Deputy Commissioner, Cox’s Bazar, said, “Cox’s Bazar is one of the country’s most valuable natural and economic assets. Keeping this beach clean, safe and welcoming requires collective action. This campaign shows how public institutions, development partners and local communities can work together for responsible tourism and better waste management.”

Md. Shamim Al Imran, Administrator, Cox’s Bazar Municipality, said, “For a tourism city like Cox’s Bazar, cleanliness is essential. This initiative is important not only because it helps clean the beach after Eid, but because it reminds all of us that waste must be disposed of in the right place. Lasting results will come only when systems and public awareness move forward together.” Across Sugandha, Laboni, and Kolatoli beach points, youth volunteers, government waste workers, municipal teams, and beach management representatives worked together to identify polluted areas, remove plastic litter and other disposable waste, and engage directly with tourists, vendors, and shopkeepers. On the final day alone, campaign teams collected 118 bags of waste weighing over 835 kilograms, including waste cleared from a one-kilometre stretch between Sugandha and Kolatoli.  The campaign also placed strong emphasis on public awareness and behaviour change.

Tourists were reached through direct engagement, Q&A sessions, awareness discussions, miking, placard displays, campaign videos, and interactive installations, including a 360-degree photobooth and a selfie booth set up at the beach. Volunteers also spoke with beachside vendors and businesses about proper waste disposal and the importance of keeping public spaces clean.  Alongside the clean-up effort, the campaign highlighted the value of collective responsibility in addressing waste pollution. Youth volunteers took part in orientation and reflection sessions to share field experiences, strengthen their role as campaign ambassadors, and promote simple but important messages around personal responsibility, including cleaning up one’s own waste.

To strengthen longer-term waste management support, 10 waste bins were installed in the Sugandha Beach area by volunteers, while another 20 bins were handed over to the Tourist Police, Cox’s Bazar, for installation at suitable locations.

UNDP Bangladesh’s Assistant Resident Representative Sarder M Asaduzzaman said, “UNDP Bangladesh is committed to practical, inclusive and sustainable waste management solutions. Through the Plastics Circularity Project, we are working with local authorities, private sector partners and communities to improve collection, recycling and responsible disposal. This campaign in Cox’s Bazar shows how strong local partnership can turn awareness into action.”

The campaign demonstrated how coordinated action between public institutions, local authorities, waste workers, community actors, and young volunteers can deliver visible environmental results while also building wider public awareness. By combining clean-up operations with direct outreach and sustained messaging, the initiative underscored the need for continued action to reduce plastic pollution, protect coastal ecosystems, and promote more responsible tourism in Cox’s Bazar.

The UNDP Beach Clean-Up Activation Campaign 2026 was implemented under the Plastics Circularity Project of UNDP Bangladesh, with support from The Coca-Cola Foundation, to promote cleaner beaches, reduce plastic pollution, and encourage more sustainable waste management practices in Cox’s Bazar.