Field Visit for EnvoRick | Exploring Plastic Waste Chain in Barishal.
As part of our ongoing research on 'Plastic Concrete Bricks' our Team EnvoRick visited local scrap dealers in the Rupatali area of Barishal. The goal was to deeply understand the current system of plastic waste collection and flow to evaluate how these plastics can be repurposed in sustainable construction.
Our field research took us to the heart of Barishal's plastic waste ecosystem. The Rupatali area serves as a major hub for plastic waste collection and distribution, making it an ideal location to understand the ground-level dynamics of plastic waste management.
Understanding the Waste Chain
Local scrap dealers play a crucial role in the plastic waste ecosystem. They serve as intermediaries between individual waste collectors and larger processing facilities. Our interactions with these dealers provided insights into pricing mechanisms, quality standards, and volume handling capabilities.
What We Explored:
- Talked with individual waste collectors about their daily collection amounts, income, and overall challenges they face.
- Observed how plastics are separated by type and color, with bottles and caps sorted individually.
- Learned how plastic waste is sold to local buyers, shredded at factories, and then transported to wholesalers in Dhaka.
- Discovered that shredded plastics are reused in various industries or even exported to countries like China and Japan.
- Noted their applications in Geo-bags, textiles, furniture, and possibly building materials — which aligns with our project's vision.
The visit confirmed that there is a robust supply chain for plastic waste materials. This finding is crucial for the scalability of our EnvoRick project, as it ensures a steady supply of raw materials for our sustainable brick production.
Next Steps
Based on our findings, we are now developing partnerships with local dealers and exploring bulk procurement agreements. This will ensure a consistent supply of quality plastic waste for our brick manufacturing process while supporting the local waste management economy.