In August 2026, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) published the “Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Guidelines 2026 for Plastic Waste Management” in the Official Gazette under the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995. The Guidelines came into effect on the same day. 

The new framework establishes an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regime covering recyclable and non-recyclable plastics manufactured, imported, or used in Bangladesh. It places post-consumer responsibilities on manufacturers, importers, brand owners, and other obligated entities, including responsibility for the collection, recycling, and environmentally sound management of plastic waste and non-recoverable residues. 

Factories that produce exclusively for export orders are excluded from the scope. The Department of Environment (DoE) will progressively identify covered entities and oversee registration, EPR implementation plans, collection and recycling targets, monitoring, and annual reporting. 

Scope of the Guidelines and Obligated Entities 

The Guidelines define “Obligated Entities” broadly. The scope extends beyond large, medium, and small industrial enterprises to include importers, product manufacturers, brand owners, online platforms, supermarkets and retail chains, and recycling companies handling covered plastic materials. 

Implementation will be phased according to business size: 

• Large enterprises: To be listed during the first and second years following implementation 

• Medium enterprises: To be listed during the third and fourth years 

• Small enterprises: To be listed during the fifth year 

Once an entity is listed, it must complete registration within six months. Registration will remain valid for three years, with the DoE generally expected to review applications within 30 working days. 

The Guidelines classify regulated plastics into five categories: 

• Rigid plastics: Beverage and cosmetic bottles, containers, caps, and similar products 

• Flexible plastics: Films, pouches, sachets, laminates, and multilayer packaging 

• Expanded polystyrene (EPS): Cups, egg trays, food containers, cutlery, and similar products 

• Non-prohibited single-use plastics (SUPs): Single-use plastic products that are not otherwise prohibited 

• Other plastic-containing products: Sanitary products, diapers, cigarette filters, garment padding, foams, fishing nets, oxo-degradable plastics, and other specified products 

Prohibited single-use plastics remain subject to applicable bans and do not become permissible merely because similar products are included within an EPR category. 

Collection and Recycling Targets 

The Guidelines establish minimum collection and recycling targets for obligated entities. Entities enlisted within the first two years of implementation must achieve at least: 

• 15% collection 

• 7.5% recycling 

during the first and second years. 

For years three to five, the minimum targets increase to: 

• 30% collection 

• 15% recycling 

These targets apply separately to each of the five plastic categories. Surplus performance in one category cannot automatically be used to compensate for a shortfall in another. 

The government may review and revise the targets after the first three years, following consultation with relevant stakeholders. 

Importantly, plastic waste collected by local authorities cannot be counted toward an obligated entity’s EPR targets. Companies will therefore need to establish traceable collection and recycling mechanisms, either independently or through Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs), private waste collectors, material recovery facilities (MRFs), or recyclers. 

EPR Implementation and Plastic Credits 

Obligated entities may fulfil their EPR responsibilities individually or collectively through a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO). An EPR Implementation Plan must be submitted as part of the registration process. 

The Guidelines also introduce a regulated Plastic Credit mechanism. Plastic collected beyond an entity’s prescribed collection target may qualify as a Plastic Credit through government-approved procedures. Such credits may be transferred or sold to other obligated entities and, subject to applicable requirements, potentially in international markets. 

Surplus Plastic Credits may generally be used or sold during the following two financial years. 

An obligated entity that has achieved at least two-thirds of its own target through actual performance may purchase Plastic Credits from another obligated entity to address the remaining shortfall. However, the credits must correspond to the same plastic category. 

These Plastic Credits are compliance instruments established under Bangladesh’s EPR framework. They should not automatically be considered equivalent to independently certified plastic credits issued under private standards, such as the Verra Plastic Program. The detailed government-approved procedures governing credit issuance, transfer, verification, and potential international use will need to be monitored as the framework is implemented. 

The Guidelines also provide a formula for calculating the EPR Project Fund: 

F = R × V × Fs 

Where: 

• F = EPR Project Fund 

• R = Mandatory recycling rate 

• V = Quantity of covered plastic sold in the domestic market 

• Fs = Unit cost of environmentally sound collection, recycling, logistics, and other treatment activities 

Reporting, Monitoring and Compliance 

Obligated entities must submit an annual report to the DoE by August covering the previous financial year. The report is expected to include information on domestic sales or distribution volumes, plastic quantities placed on the market, and collection and recycling performance. 

Failure to submit the required annual report may affect the renewal of EPR registration. 

The DoE may conduct inspections, audits, and data verification to assess compliance. Entities may face suspension or cancellation of registration, as well as legal action, in cases involving non-compliance, including the submission of false or misleading information. 

Key Implications for Businesses 

Companies placing products or packaging on the Bangladesh domestic market should begin preparing for the new EPR requirements by: 

1. Classifying products and packaging: Map each SKU and associated packaging material against the five regulated plastic categories. 

1. Quantifying domestic market placement: Establish accurate records of the quantity of covered plastics manufactured, imported, sold, or distributed within Bangladesh. 

1. Establishing traceability: Develop systems to document the quantities collected, transported, recycled, and otherwise treated. 

1. Evaluating PRO and recycler arrangements: Review contracts, data-sharing mechanisms, and traceability systems with PROs, collectors, MRFs, and recyclers. 

1. Preparing for category-specific targets: Ensure collection and recycling performance is tracked separately for each plastic category. 

1. Maintaining market-specific records: Companies with both domestic and export sales should clearly distinguish domestic market quantities from export-only volumes. 

1. Monitoring Plastic Credit requirements: Assess the potential use of Plastic Credits while ensuring that credits are sourced and used in accordance with the government-approved EPR framework. 

Flexible plastics—including sachets, laminates, films, and multilayer packaging—may require particular attention because their collection, segregation, and recycling can be more challenging than rigid plastics. 

Although export-only manufacturing facilities are excluded, companies that manufacture for both export and the Bangladesh domestic market may fall within the scope of the Guidelines. Maintaining clear and auditable records of domestic market placement will therefore be critical. 

What This Means for Industry 

Bangladesh’s EPR Guidelines represent a significant shift from conventional waste-management approaches toward a producer-responsibility model, where businesses are increasingly accountable for the post-consumer impacts of plastic products and packaging. 

For companies operating in or supplying the Bangladesh market, early action on plastic data management, material classification, collection partnerships, recycling traceability, EPR registration, and category-specific target tracking will be essential for maintaining compliance and managing future regulatory risks.