Category: Allgemein

Key effort of working group II is the elaboration of business incentives for targeted collection and provision of mismanaged plastic waste while balancing additional expenditures for KCC providing safe treatment and deposition. Challenges and opportunities lie in the synergies that need to be transferred into a win-win business model, which overall prevents open and uncontrolled pollution of plastics.

In the past weeks members of working group II intensively developed a business model concept to tackle mismanaged plastic waste with the help of local private recycling actors. Corresponding to the project’s working packages a pilot study will be conducted to implement and evaluate this new business model. During March 2024 several meetings with involved stakeholders resulted in the official kick-off for the pilot study on business model implementation. KCC officials and representatives from the local recycling sector fortunately assured their commitment and contribution for this endeavour.

The establishment of the Knowledge Transfer Hub (KTH) stands as one of the pivotal goals within the SCIP Plastics Project. Following its successful inauguration in November 2023, our project partner at KUET, led by Dr. Muhammed Alamgir and Dr. Rafizul Islam, has accomplished the integration of the whole compartment (KTH and Waste Lab) into the university’s organizational structure (organogram). Under the new name “Waste Research Laboratory”, this integration secures its operation throughout the project’s lifespan. Consequently, the compartment will receive ongoing funding for operations, maintenance, and staffing. All project partners express their delight at this development and extend their gratitude for the dedication of Dr. Muhammed Alamgir.

In December 2023 waste from local vessels both at Mongla Port and Chittagong Port were collected. A team of researchers from working group IV distributed waste bags to 90 ship crews and asked for their cooperation. For three to ten days the crew members did not discharge their wastes but collected them in the provided waste bags and additionally participated in a survey. Overall, the waste from 37 local vessels could be collected. The waste was sorted manually by the researches after collection and the plastic fraction was analysed using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to determine the plastic types. The results of the waste sorting and NIR analysis are now being processed and will be used, among others, to develop waste flow diagrams of the Port areas.

Over the last year, WG III investigated various processes and activities at the Rajbandh open dump site, the only active final waste disposal site for Khulna city. Now, the team will start monitoring and quantifying plastic emissions in the form of wind-blown litter and washed-out material. On 13.11.2023, the WG III team, Pangkaj Kumar, Salahuddin Setu, Tasnova Imam, Saptarshi Mondal and Senta Berner visited the disposal site and outlined a first monitoring protocol, as well as necessary improvements along the fence line and embankments to ensure quantifiable sample collection. The team also tested a drone which will be part of the monitoring, especially to gauge the impact of extreme weather events on waste body movement and plastic emissions.

On the 9th of November 2023, the civil engineering faculty of KUET inaugurated their new research hub building. The building will host the SCIP Plastics Knowledge Transfer Hub, including all working group members and the Waste Lab. Prof. Eckhard Kraft and Gregor Biastoch joined the celebration as special guests and speakers in the inauguration panel.
The hub building and its facilities are fully dedicated to the research field of solid and plastic waste management showing KUET’s commitment to address this issue in the coming years.

The 3rd Board of Directors meeting was hosted by the CUET SCIP-team and took place in Cox’s Bazar on the 4th of November. The project leaders, Prof. Eckhard Kraft (BUW), Prof. Farzana Zuthi (CUET), Prof. Rafizul Islam (KUET) and Mr. Abir Ul Jabbar (KCC), as well as scientific experts reviewed and discussed the project progress presented by the working group leads and heads of the waste lab and awareness center. As an extraordinary member of the scientific expert panel, Prof. Jörg Londong (BUW) gave valuable insights to further improve project outputs.

As representatives of the SCIP-team, the BUW team participated in the networking meeting of the funding program “Marine:DeFRAG” on October 16, 2023, organized by Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH. The one-day event provided a platform for intense exchange of experiences and discussions on innovative solutions. The event particularly focused on discussing various monitoring methods and the intelligent use of eco-design and alternative materials.

The morning session was dedicated to intensive exchanges on the topic of “Monitoring”. Project implementers presented their diverse approaches to the investigation of different plastic fractions, leading to inspiring discussions and synergies. After the lunch break, the afternoon continued with a focus on “Waste prevention through intelligent use of eco-design and alternative materials”.

The event emphasized the role of participants as central actors who shared their experiences through short presentations. This interactive form of exchange not only facilitated the sharing of best practices but also promoted collective reflection on challenges and solutions.

The successful networking meeting strengthened collaboration and the joint effort against marine litter. We look forward to integrating the insights gained into our ongoing project and continuing to actively contribute to addressing this global environmental crisis.

From October 1^st to 3^rd, the Awareness Centre team comprising Sheikh Enjamamul Haque, Ankon Singh, Fahima Akter, S. M. Nahin Rahaman, Md. Mobashar Hossain and Md. Shimul, along with ISOE researchers Dr.-Ing. Martin Zimmermann and Jonathan Pillen, facilitated two workshops. The main objective was to develop future visions for sustainable plastic waste management in Khulna.

Stakeholders from different fields of expertise came together to create visual maps of the most important aspects of plastic waste management in Khulna. In a first session, the current situation was discussed and mapped, with a particular focus on problematic aspects that might currently hinder more sustainable solutions, e.g. lack of awareness or lack of infrastructure. In a second session, these ‘problem maps’ were used as a starting point. Participants then identified necessary changes to the current system to achieve a sustainable and desirable future vision of plastic waste management in Khulna. Both workshops – the first in English, the second in Bangla – were successful not only in terms of the scientific data generated, but also in terms of the knowledge transfer and a shared understanding among the various participants. And last but not least: The use of constellation analysis combined with a world café format resulted in a mindful exchange and even some fun.

On August 21^st, 2023, the Awareness Centre (AWC) Team organized a Source Separation Workshop and Pre-campaign Program for the students of KUET School. The primary focus of this workshop was to educate students about the various ways they can participate in reducing plastic waste and promoting sustainable practices.

The session emphasized the importance of implementing environmentally-friendly practices to mitigate the negative impacts of plastic waste on the environment. By encouraging the adoption of sustainable practices, students can play a significant role in promoting a cleaner and healthier environment for both present and future generations.

Additionally, during the session, the AWC team discussed upcoming events, including a poster presentation, campus cleaning, and a rally. To foster creativity and engagement, the AWC team provided students with papers and colored pens, allowing them to create posters related to plastic pollution. The students enthusiastically participated in the workshop.

Recently, within the SCIP project, an awareness-raising initiative has resulted in the creation of two SCIP corners. The design rests upon repurposed plastic bottles, particularly those used for beverages. The construction utilizes a total of 1144 reused plastic bottles, including 630 white, 364 brown, and 150 green PET bottles. Its design aims to exemplify the capacity for integrating discarded materials into construction methodologies, simultaneously addressing environmental concerns, and encouraging thinking outside the box to be receptive to novel ideas regarding waste management. This structure is planned to serve as a platform for presenting the SCIP Plastics Project on various occasions, such as conferences, campaigns, and observance days. It functions as a hub for disseminating knowledge, communicating research outcomes, displaying innovative products and more.