Unilever, YPSA hold plastic-free Karnaphuli campaign

Unilever Bangladesh Limited (UBL) and the Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) have teamed up under a campaign to conserve the once-powerful Karnaphuli river and raise awareness about plastic pollution.

On Saturday, the YPSA and UBL organised a plastic cleanup and awareness-raising programme in Chattogram as part of the initiative -- Not Throwing the Plastic into River -- by involving 100 youth volunteers and UBL employees.

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Considered as the lifeline of economic operation in Bangladesh, the Karnaphuli river is a victim of unchecked pollution, according to a press release of UBL. 

Many people who gather near Karnaphuli New Bridge on holidays and weekends frequently discard single-use plastic items into rivers, contributing to river pollution and the clogging of the riverbed with plastic.

So, in the presence of Nurul Hoque, counselor of the ward no. 35, Md Arifur Rahman, chief executive of the YPSA, and Md Sanaullah Mallick, employee relations lead of UBL, the cleanup initiative started from Karnaphuli bridge and volunteers engaged with local people to raise awareness on the harmful aspects of throwing polythene and other plastic into the river and environment.

On the occasion, Shamima Akhter, director for corporate affairs, partnership and communication at UBL, said Unilever Bangladesh and the YPSA initiated plastic waste collection from 41 wards of the Chattogram City Corporation from the beginning of 2022.

"Raising awareness about plastic waste is another important step to bringing a sustainable solution."

Under the initiative, 3,200 tonnes of plastic waste have so far been collected from the city.

Md Arifur Rahman said, "Our Chattogram city has lost its beauty due to various pollution, including the dumping of plastic waste everywhere. As a result, the Karnaphuli riverbed is being filled with plastic items, endangering our ecology and contaminating water."

He called upon volunteer organisations to raise awareness about the plastic catastrophe.