The Story of Sonali Bag: Global Hope, Local Struggles

Invented in Bangladesh, the Sonali bag is an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to the current polyethylene and polypropylene bags - one of the major causes of plastic pollution in the world. Biodegradable, eco-friendly, recyclable, mixed up with the soil within 3-4 months of its disposal and 1.6 times stronger than polyethylene, the bag is made from jute cellulose, a major crop in Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi scientist Mubarak Ahmed Khan and his team went through a six-year research and are currently producing only 2,000 bags per day on an experimental basis. The invention is awaiting large scale commercial production and searching for investment from either government or private sources.