A unique alternative to plastic

In rural areas, sheaths (khol) of fallen areca nut leaves are usually used to build fire in earthen stoves for cooking.

However, these can be used to make single-use utensils as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic ones.

Kamrul Hasan Nahid, a 32-year-old youth from Tangail, has found success through this unique initiative.

After completing his graduation in textile engineering from a college in Dhaka, Nahid joined a job as a merchandiser.

However, two years later, he faced an uncertain situation regarding his career amid the pandemic.

One day, he saw a Facebook post from a couple in Tamil Nadu who make eco-friendly one-time items with sheaths of fallen areca nut leaves.

Nahid discussed the matter with his family. Later, he quit his job, and the family moved back to their ancestral home in Bagbari area under Bhuanpur upazila.

Later, Nahid went to Tamil Nadu and bought a machine to press the sheaths with Tk 8 lakh, and spent Tk 3 lakh more to set up the necessary infrastructures to start making the products by collecting areca nut sheaths from various places.

At present, Nahid's factory is producing various eco-friendly products including one-time plates, bowls, trays, food boxes of different sizes, and decorative items. The products are priced between Tk 6-12.

Several teenagers from the village work at the factory part-time alongside their studies.

These eco-friendly products have good demand among restaurants, resorts and owners of businesses who are environmentally conscious.

A consignment of 20,000 plates was also shipped to the US through an exporter recently.

"The sheath of fallen areca nut leaves is an alternative to machine-molded single-use plastic products. I started this with the desire to do something environmentally friendly," Nahid said.

"At first, we wash the collected sheaths with water. Those are then dried in the sun, before being used in the machine to be pressed at specific temperature to make the single-use plates. Our factory can produce 1,000 to 1,200 plates a day," said Shimul, a college student from the village who works at the factory.

"Nahid Bhai trained me how to work. I can earn Tk 300-350 daily by working part-time there," he added.

However, as plastic products are easily available and cheaper, it is not possible to sell the eco-friendly products as expected, said two other workers of the factory.

There is also a lack of necessary publicity, they said, adding that entrepreneurs need to come together with such innovative initiatives to generate a better market for eco-friendly products.

"Plastic is banned in Tamil Nadu, so these single-use items made from areca nut sheaths are quite popular there as an alternative. Families there export products worth Rs 800 crore annually," said Nahid.

While single-use plastic and polythene items are also banned in Bangladesh, their use has rather increased over time.

"Several others from various districts in Bangladesh are also making these eco-friendly products on a small scale. Some of these products are being exported abroad through third parties," Nahid informed.

"The real challenge, however, lies with procuring raw materials. These sheaths are rarely collected locally. Most of the sheaths are collected by entrepreneurs from areca nut plantations in Cox's Bazar and Bhola," he also said.

"Considering the harmful effects of plastic pollution, we need to come up with alternative ways to reduce the use of plastic products," Nahid added.

Recently, Nahid diversified his products to introduce single-use plates and food box made from leaves of sal and gajari trees.

This young entrepreneur, however, lamented that no one from the government or private sector came to him with any help or advice in the last two years.

Contacted, Jamil Hussain, an official of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industry Corporation in Tangail, assured all kinds of cooperation to promote, expand and popularise the products manufactured by Nahid's factory.

"BSCIC provides patronage to these small and cottage industries in the rural areas, especially those producing environmentally friendly products on an industrial scale. We will definitely contact him [Nahid] and try to provide any kind of assistance from BSCIC and the government," he said.