Apex launches biodegradable bags amid plastic concerns

Apex Footwear has introduced biodegradable shopping bags, replacing conventional plastic ones, for its customers amid growing concern over the widespread use of plastic in Bangladesh and its impact on the environment.

The bags use a bio-resin derived from corn starch and do not contain synthetic materials such as polyethylene and polystyrene, which are commonly used in traditional plastic packaging, Apex said in a press statement.

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Apex, one of the largest footwear manufacturers in the country, said the bags have been tested by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) to assess their quality and environmental characteristics.

According to test findings, the bags can fully biodegrade within seven months of disposal without leaving harmful residues.

Plastic waste, particularly single-use items such as polythene, has been cited by environmentalists and authorities as a major challenge for waste management, drainage systems and ecosystems.

Bangladesh generates around 800,000 tonnes of plastic waste a year, of which only about 40 percent is recycled, according to the Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

Apex Footwear has a retail presence across 64 districts, with more than 250 retail outlets nationwide, along with more than 260 franchise outlets and a network of over 90 wholesale dealers, according to Raihan Kabir, head of marketing at Apex Footwear.

Together, its outlets require around 700,000 shopping bags a month, he said.

The footwear manufacturer is the latest to join the transition from plastic bags in stores.

Supershops have also moved to cut plastic use in recent years. Following the enforcement of a decades-old polythene ban, chains, including Shwapno, Agora, Unimart and Meena Bazar, began offering jute and paper bags at checkout counters.

Speaking on the launch of the bags, Raihan said the company had been seeking an alternative to its existing shopping bags for some time.

"We had been looking for something that would allow us to take our sustainability efforts to a wider group of consumers," he told The Daily Star today.

The search for a supplier took more than a year, as Apex evaluated several locally developed alternatives before selecting a manufacturer capable of meeting its requirements

Raihan informed that a group of students from Chattogram first approached the company with a jute-based bag.

“I found the idea interesting because sustainability is one of our core values. But when we looked at their production capacity, raw material availability and financial strength, we realised they were not yet in a position to supply a company of our size,” he said.

Later, a supplier from Rajshahi proposed a corn-starch bag, but was also found to lack sufficient production capacity to fulfill Apex’s needs.

The footwear company eventually began working with a packaging manufacturer supported by BRAC, after assessing its production capacity, financial stability, raw material availability and technical certifications.

“We checked their documents and were satisfied with their capacity. That was when we decided to start working with them,” he said.

Developing samples and negotiating prices took 6-7 months, as the initial cost of the biodegradable bags was considerably higher than that of conventional alternatives, Raihan said.

“After several rounds of sample development and negotiation, we reached a level where we felt we could move forward,” he said.

The bags were introduced at several outlets on a pilot basis to collect feedback from customers and staff before wider rollout. 

“The response was very positive. Our store managers, sales officers and customers appreciated the initiative.”

Raihan said the bag initiative is part of broader sustainability efforts at the company. Water-saving measures had also helped reduce electricity consumption from generators by around 30 percent, and Apex has also received a sustainability-related award from Singapore, he said.