Biodegradable, eco-friendly bags are being made from maize. For six months a company called Crystal Bio Tech in Rajshahi's Paba area has been producing them, and they are already being exported. But although they are an alternative to polythene, they are not yet able to compete with it. The maker says that with the administration's support the bags could replace environmentally harmful polythene.

A visit to the Crystal Bio Tech factory at Alimganj in Paba showed the bags being made from imported maize starch (the white part left after the yellow part of the maize is removed). The raw material is fed into a machine and blown up with heat and air into polythene-like bags. Because the raw material is imported, the bags cost a little more than polythene.

Company officials say that although they depend on imports at first, they will produce the raw material from maize themselves in future, bringing the price close to that of polythene. A large bag now sells for Tk 4 and costs more than Tk 2.50 to make.

Proprietor Iftekharul Haque said they had been trying for several years to make eco-friendly bags and had several ideas, but liked this one best. "When the yellow outer part of the maize is discarded, what remains is called maize starch. The raw material for these bags comes from that. It is basically German technology, but the machine was imported from India."

He said: "We currently import the raw material. We can produce 200,000 bags a day here, but we are producing a little less because demand is low. This is a good, golden opportunity. Bangladesh was the first in Asia to ban polythene, and we are making this product as an alternative. There is demand abroad too, and we have already exported our first shipment to the Middle East."

He added: "With the administration's help these bags will spread further and become a real rival to polythene. Many aware people no longer want to use polythene but do not know the alternative. Jute bags are also very expensive, and our bags will cost much less. So with the administration's support they will spread quickly and protect our environment."

Deputy Commissioner Shamim Ahmed said polythene is harmful and any bag that comes as an alternative will be welcomed. The district administration will do whatever is needed to help the bags reach the market easily and spread.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.