Pran-RFL recycles 30,000 tons plastic every year

Pran-RFL Group, the country's leading business conglomerate, recycles about 30,000 metric tons of waste plastic every year, producing 27,000 metric tons of raw material.

Kamruzzaman Kamal, director of marketing of the Pran-RFL Group, revealed the information while talking with reporters at the Pran-RFL Industrial Park in Habiganj on Saturday.

Kamal informed that the value of this amount of raw material, if imported, is about Tk400 crore.

"Huge amounts of foreign currencies are being saved every year for carrying out recycling activities," he added.

He informed that they collect PET, HDPE, LDPE, PP, PVC, PS and ABS plastic and the 'used plastic' are collected from dealers, plastic collectors, plastic products factories, depots and traders who deal with used plastic.

"After this, the used plastic is brought to collection centers of Pran-RFL Group. At present, there are 10 collection centers in different parts of the country. The used plastic was then taken to the Group's factories after crushing. Pran-RFL has three factories, including one in Habiganj Industrial Park, for carrying out recycling activities," he said.

Kamal mentioned that the awareness of people plays an important role in using plastic and recycled plastic products.

"The plastic recycling sector will grow further if people become more aware in this regard. It will also help to reduce the negative impact on the environment. Pran-RFL has been carrying out various activities to create awareness among the common people," he opined.

He said industrial packaging can be a big segment of recycling that includes PET bottles.

"We are now exporting PET bottle flakes to China. If we could recycle PET bottles and turn it to polystyrene thread and fabrics, then the huge amount of polystyrene fabrics need not to be imported for the garment sector. It could save a huge amount of foreign currencies." he added.

Referring to the company's next five-year plan, Kamruzzaman Kamal said, the group aims to recycle about 20% of its total plastic usage.

For this reason, 10 more collection centres will be set up soon, he added.

Kamruzzaman Kamal said: "We are planning to use a portion of the money earned from the sale of recycled plastic products in the CSR sector. The money will be spent for the development of the environment."

He said PET bottles and PET related packaging materials are widely used in Bangladesh.

For this reason, he said, Pran-RFL Group is planning to set up a PET bottle recycling plant to make fabrics.

The initiative will help the environment and contribute to the flourishing of the recycling sector in Bangladesh, he added.

Pran-RFL produces about 3,00,000 metric tons of plastic products every year. The products include household products, pipe and fittings, garment accessories and food packaging. As a leading manufacturer of household products and processed food, Pran-RFL Group has a responsibility to maintain the balance of the environment. The group started plastic recycling activities in 2012.

About 100 types of products are manufactured including waste bin, gardening, household and poultry items and bags by processing the 'used plastic'.

The group has so far invested Tk 320 crore in the plastic recycling sector. Moreover, 2000 people are directly and 4,000 people are indirectly employed by the initiative of Pran-RFL Group.