Jute
is a traditional financial crop of Bangladesh. At present, over eight lac
hectares of land are cultivating jute and related crops. With the United
Nations announcement of the year 2009 as "international natural fiber
year" and due to increasing of environmental awareness in developed
countries, the popularity or use of environmental catastrophes products is
declining steadily around the world.
A
new era was started by Professor Mubarak Ahmed Khan, chief scientific adviser
of the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC). Through the invention of his
eco-friendly poly-bag made from jute, a new dream in the jute sector has
already started becoming true.
Sonali
Bag:
The
golden bag is a type of polythene bag made from jute. Professor Mobarak Ahmed
Khan, a Bangladeshi scientist, discovered this process of producing polythene
bags from jute. After invention of the golden bag, the experimental production began
on May 2017 in Latif Bawani Jute Mills. The factory started producing
environment friendly 2000 pieces of polybags from Jute's cellulose.
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has named this polythene bag from
jute as ‘SONALI BAG’.
Method
of making Sonali Bag from Jute:
Structurally,
the jute is composed of complex polymers consisting mainly of cellulose 75%, hemicelluloses
15% and lignin 10%. Besides, because of the small amount of fat, wax,
nitrogenous matter, beta-carotene and xanthophylls, jute is deciduous and
environment friendly. In 2017, Professor Mubarak Ahmed Khan, a noted scientist
of the Atomic Energy Commission, invented the Sonali Bag from Jute cellulose which
is very much environmentally friendly.
First,
cellulose is extracted from the waste jute fibers that are thrown away from the
jute mills. These cellulose which is insoluble in water, is subsequently
modified using some chemical products. Cross-linkers are mixed with soluble
cellulose. The chemical reaction is carried out inside a drawer machine at a
particular temperature. It dries out of the machine in the form of plastic
sheets. Later the sheet gets polybag shape by cutting. It is possible to get
one kilogram of polythene from one kilogram of jute.
More
than 50 percent of cellulose is present in the bags produced. This waterproof
polybag costs from BD Taka 250 to 300 per kg. But if the bag is manufactured and
marketed commercially, the price will be further reduced. Fully digestible and environment
friendly, the bag lasts for about five hours in water and then begins to melt
slowly. Since there is not any harmful chemicals so it increases soil fertility
by completely mixing within 5-6 months. It looks like a normal polythene bags of
the market, but it is one and a half times more durable and stronger than usual
polyethylene bags. This bag can be used as packaging material for specially
made garments and also for storing food items.
Impact
of polythene on the environment:
More
than one million polyethylene bags in every minute are used in the world. Only one
percent of it is processed for recycling and 10 percent is dumped into the sea.
These polybags will not digest and won’t mix with the soil for a hundred years.
It will harm people with harmful effects, including large numbers of birds and
aquatic animals. In Bangladesh, the production of polythene started on a
commercial basis in 1982. Due to the excessive use of polythene, in 1998 the
sewerage system was disrupted in various cities including the capital of the
country. Then, production, marketing and sale of polythene bags were prohibited
by law in the country in 2002. Despite various government initiatives, the use
of polythene could not be controlled as there was no cheap and other
alternative.
Importance
as an alternative to polythene:
The
importance of polythene made by jute as an alternative to present polythene is
understood from the decision to ban polythene that is a serious risk to the
environment around the world. Bangladesh has banned the use of polythene with
72 countries of the world. In all countries, there are punishments for the use
of polythene but the use could not be stopped. The Kenyan government issued a
rule to arrest anyone after seeing with polythene in hand. The Ugandan airport
had provisions for arresting anyone with polythene. But since polythene had no
alternative, it could not be implemented for long. Ireland's government has
imposed additional taxes to reduce the use of polythene bags. Portugal, Spain
also started same actions. European Parliament is going to implement a law
banning polythene bags in European countries since 2020.
Several
countries are interested to buy Sonali Bags from Bangladesh:
Already
the Melbourne City Council authorities in Australia have expressed interest in
buying the bag to keep the city polythene-free and a US-based business firm in
Dubai has placed order to buy 25,000 pieces of polybags a month. On October 2019,
a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and an NDA were signed with a UK company
for commercial production of Sonali Bags from Jute. Recently, countries in the
world, including Italy, Brazil, Bhutan, China, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Taiwan,
Tanzania, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, have started reducing
use of environmental harmful elements, including synthetic polybags.
Various
steps of the Bangladesh Government:
Formulation
of capital policy EcoTax is being imposed on polythene reforms and use of
products. For the protection of the environment the ‘Wrap Act 2010’ has been announced
for wrap 17 types of products including fertilizers, sugar, rice etc. For these
products the use of jute wrap is mandatory for sale, distribution and supply.
The provision for use of wrappers made of all jute-made products is made as a
wrapper of the products produced by all public and private organizations. If
the use of jute wrapping in the product is fully implemented, the demand for
jute bags in the country will increase from 90,000 to 840 million pcs in the
country. The government has taken initiatives to establish a Jute Village at a
cost of Taka 2,000 crore in 200 acres land beside Padma River to provide the
raw materials for making multipurpose jute products. From January 2019, the Bangladesh
Jute Mill Corporation has been working to produce 25,000 pcs bags daily. As a
result, the future of Bangladesh's golden jute may change.
There
is currently a global demand for 500 billion deciduous polybags. If we can
produce jute sonali bag to meet this demand of the world, it will start a new
trend in Bangladesh economy. Private investment should be encouraged alongside
the government. Sonali Bags will be hugely popular as an alternative to
polythene bags if the cost can be reduce. Currently investing the entire jute
produced in our country, it is possible to meet one third of the global demand.
If we can ensure the use of jute fibers internally, it will be possible to get
a fair price of the jute, as well as to bring the fallen land under jute
cultivation, and to make possible progress in the jute sector. New opportunities
for jute will be exposed. And the jute will remove the use of polythene forever
that is destroying the environment.
Thanks,
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