Environmental Benefits of Edible Wafer Cups: Reducing Plastic Waste in Rajshahi City Tea Shops
Oli Ahmed
Bangladesh Sericulture Research & Training Institute, Rajshahi, Bangladesh.
Md. Zakir Hossain Khan *
Department of Civil Engineering, Bangladesh Army University of Engineering and Technology, Natore-6431, Bangladesh.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Overuse of disposable plastic cups raised important environmental issues and ultimately, called for sustainable waste reduction approaches. This study examines the outcomes associated with an intervention aimed at reducing the use of plastic cups in an organizational setting. Two analyses took place, measuring the effects of an intervention that has applied "behavioral and policy-based" strategies, both before-and-after implementation and over a ten-week period. The analyses revealed a distinct reduction in plastic cup use, with an average decline of 60%, and thus, attesting as to the implementation of these strategies. These results illustrate the usefulness of targeted interventions in the promotion of sustainable consumption practices. This study adds to the field of environmental sustainability research by contributing to the continued empirical knowledge surrounding effective waste reduction initiatives. Future studies perhaps will address the questions of sustained behavioral adherence and scalability across other organizational settings.
Keywords: Edible packaging, plastic waste reduction, Bangladesh, sustainable packaging, consumer perception