BTMA urges government to facilitate import of recycled plastics and textile waste for export growth

The Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) has called on the government to allow the import of recycled plastics and textile waste with a 5 per cent specific duty. In a letter to the chief adviser, BTMA President Showkat Aziz Russell highlighted the potential for these materials to serve as import substitutes and drive export growth.

Russell emphasized allowing import of textile waste, including cotton waste, could support the local recycling textile industry by providing key raw materials for producing fibers. This could boost the country’s export earnings by $40-50 billion annually by 2030.

Russell also urged the interim government to impose a ban on the export of PET bottles and flakes, suggesting that domestic production of polyester stable fiber (PSF) from reusable PET bottles could save up to $150 million annually. He further recommended revising the environmental ministry’s August 27 ban on single-use plastics, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, to ensure it aligns with industry needs.

The letter pointed out that major global companies, including Reebok, Pepsi, Nestle, and Coca-Cola, have committed to using flakes and granules from recycled plastics, underlining the potential of Bangladesh’s textile sector to tap into this growing market.