“Plastic is clogging our sewers and waterways everywhere, from our bustling metropolis to our lovely countryside. It's generating widespread flooding and providing ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other waterborne diseases,” says Bangladeshi photojournalist Nayem Shaan in his project “Plastic Pollution.”

Plastic garbage has increased more than 3.5 times in the Dhaka, from 178 tons per day in 2005 to 646 tons per day in 2020, according to the World Bank. Only 37% of the 646 tons gets recycled, with the informal sector accounting for most of it.

Furthermore, the plastic trash laborer's working conditions are hazardous. “Factory owners do not provide adequate protection for their employees, such as hand gloves, masks, or safety kits. And there is a large amount of child labor, as well as kids seen playing in this perilous environment,” shares the photographer.

Plus, due to the usage of chemicals, the neighborhoods surrounding the plastic waste industries experience a horrible odor. “Bangladesh's plastic garbage business is stealthily harming these workers' futures, as well as the environment of Dhaka Dwellers and the Buriganga river,” expresses Nayem.