Packaging Foodstuff and Agricultural Products
Law in the offing to make jute bags mandatory
The government has prepared a new law to enforce the use of jute bags in packaging foodstuff and agricultural products, officials say.
According to jute ministry officials, manufacturers will be required to use packaging materials made up of 75 per cent jute fibres, under the proposed ''Mandatory Jute Packaging Act 2010''.
Non-compliance will invite a fine of Tk 50,000, and one year in jail while second time offenders have to pay twice the penalty, they said.
Initially products such as rice, paddy, wheat, sugar, seeds, fertilisers and saplings will be brought within the purview of the law.
More commodities will be added to the list later, on the basis of recommendations from a committee led by the ministry and other stakeholders.
Gradually, almost all products except for a few that require strict and special packaging methods will be included.
Jute Ministry Secretary Md Ashraful Moqbul said the law aims to increase the use of jute bags, eco-friendly and good for safe health, instead of polythene.
"Jute is more environment friendly and safer for health than polythene," he said.
"Apart from harms to the environment, polythene also poses serious health risks, because foodstuff stored in polythene may get affected by the chemical substance."
Jute bags are also stronger and longer lasting, and protective to what is kept inside, he added.
The secretary said the law, already passed by the cabinet, will be placed at the ongoing parliamentary session for passing.
According to the ministry, only four per cent of 50 lakh bale produced in the country last year was used in products packaging, and the rest were imported, used by private jute mills and spinners or made into ropes.
The government imposed a nationwide ban on polythene bags in 2002, after thousands of discarded bags clogged up sewerage.
Since then, authorities concerned have pushed for an increase in jute production and encourage the use of jute bags.
Several drives have been conducted to enforce the ban by seizing the poly bags and sealing polythene factories.
In recent crackdown, the Department of Environment (DoE) has sealed two factories -- Babu Plastic Industry and Mintu Miahr Polythene Karkhana -- in Lalbagh in the city yesterday.
The DoE's Dhaka Divisional Director, Sukumer Biswas, led the mobile court, with Executive Magistrate Mohammad Al Amin.
The drive, in which 18 storeowners are already fined Tk 1,55,000 for trading poly bags, will continue till September 23.
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