Bangladesh Reveals Draft EPR Directives for Plastics including Packaging, Mandating Collection and Recycling 
The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) of Bangladesh has published the draft “ Directives For Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) on Plastic Waste Management” on November 20, 2025, inviting public comment until December 20. This draft stipulates Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic waste, including packaging, setting obligations for producers and importers that encompass collection, recycling, registration, annual report, and environmentally friendly product design. The enforcement of the directive will be done in phases, starting with large enterprises, followed by medium enterprises in the third year, and small enterprises in the fifth year.
Obligated Entities
- Producer: An entity involved in manufacturing or importing plastic raw materials, multilayered packaging, plastic products, or similar items. This includes industries or individuals using plastic for product, packaging, or wrapping purposes.
- Manufacturer: Entities who produce products through assembling of the raw materials.
- Importer: An individual or entity intending to import, holding an Importer-Exporter Code number unless specifically exempted.
- Brand owner: An individual or company selling a commodity under a registered brand label.
Definition of different enterprises:
- Large Enterprise: Establishments that have fixed assets and total workers more than the medium enterprises in the manufacturing, industrial, service, and business sectors.
- Medium Enterprise: The establishment/firm which is not a public limited company in Bangladesh and has a business with fixed assets (excluding land and buildings) between BDT 5 million and BDT 100 million in the service and business sectors, employing up to 50 workers, and between BDT 15 million and BDT 200 million in the industrial sector, employing up to 150 workers.
- Small Enterprise: A business with fixed assets (excluding land and buildings) between BDT 50,000 and BDT 5 million in the service and business sectors, employing up to 25 workers, and between BDT 50,000 and BDT 150 million in the industrial sector, employing up to 50 workers in Bangladesh.
Obligated Plastics
| Category | Category Name | Items |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rigid Plastic | Plastic bottles (e.g., water bottles, soda bottles), Plastic containers (e.g., food storage containers, egg trays, disposable cutleries), PVC pipe caps, lids, etc. |
| 2 | Flexible Plastic | Plastic film, Plastic wraps, sachets, laminates, plastic cotton buds, etc. (including Multilayers of plastics and multilayers of plastic with other materials). |
| 3 | Styrofoam | e.g., cups and containers, egg cartons, disposable cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Products |
| 4 | Single-Use Plastics | Miscellaneous single-use plastic items not covered in Categories 1, 2, and 3 (until banned/phased out by the Government) |
| 5 | Others | Sanitary Napkins, Diapers, and similar products like Cigarette Filter, Garments Padding, Foam, Fishing Nets, and oxo-degradable plastic |
Liabilities of Obligated Entities
- Register with the Department of Environment (DoE). Registration must be renewed every two years.
- Achieve the following EPR targets. Entities may utilize deposit-refund schemes, buy-back, take-back schemes, etc., to achieve these targets. For actual collection activities, entities may designate a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO), which ultimately delivers the collected materials to recyclers.
>Collection Target: 15%, increasing to 30% from the third year onward.
> Recycling Target: 7.5%, increasing to 15% from the third year onward.
*EnviX Comment: The denominator for the collection and recycling targets is not specified here. While “Percentage of quantity placed on the market” may be the most plausible interpretation, further clarification is expected upon formal publication. - Prepare an action plan to achieve the EPR targets (Appendix-G), including both pre- and post-consumer waste.
- Submit an annual report on the quantity of products and packaging released into the local market and the progress toward achieving collection and recycling targets. If targets are not met, entities shall submit a justification report (Appendix-H) and determine the necessary actions for compliance.
- Conduct public awareness programs to promote effective waste management practices. Inform buyers or consumers about managing waste generated from their products during product advertising.
- Adopt environmentally friendly technologies at the design stage to minimize plastic waste generation and improve plastic waste management. Prioritize the gradual phase-out of hazardous chemicals in their production processes.
*EnviX Comment: Specific “hazardous chemicals and additives” were not indicated.
Download the draft directives from link below:
Directives For Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) on Plastic Waste Management (Draft)
https://moef.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/moef.portal.gov.bd/notices/b05cab20_92da_4a55_9301_308e99f0d4b4/EPR%20Directive_V4_February%202025.docx
