Tarek, Transforming Waste into Resources for a Greener Ukhiya

I step out every morning with a bag in my hand, moving through the narrow lanes of my neighborhood in Ukhiya. Plastic bottles, wrappers, and broken containers litter the streets- I pick them up, and sort them carefully. At first, my friends laughed, and some neighbors shook their heads. “Why Tareq?” they said.

By December 2025, the small piles I collected had grown to 127 kilograms. I sold the plastic at the local market for BDT 3,810 and used the money to support projects that improve our community. People started noticing. Some came to watch me work; others asked how they could help.

I learned how plastic blocks drains, poisons soil and ends up in water that children and animal’s drink. With other members of the Child Forum, we held courtyard sessions and performed street dramas to show how small actions can prevent this. Families began separating plastic from regular waste, and children started bringing bottles from home to add to our collection.

Now, streets that were once scattered with trash look cleaner. Courtyards and lanes carry the sound of people talking about recycling and taking responsibility for their environment. I still carry my bag each morning, but I am no longer alone. My neighbors, friends, and younger children follow, picking up pieces of plastic, learning that every action counts.

“I want Ukhiya to be neat, green, and free from plastic pollution,” I tell anyone who asks. “If we all gather what we discard and turn it into resources, we can make our community healthier and safer.”