Waste collection and composition analysis at Mongla and Chittagong Port

From May to December 2023, waste from local vessels both at Mongla Port and Chittagong Port were collected. A team of researchers from working group IV distributed waste bags to 150-200 ship crews and asked for their cooperation. For three to ten days the crew members did not discharge their wastes but collected them in the provided waste bags and additionally participated in a survey. Overall, the waste from 70 local vessels has been collected. The waste was sorted manually by the researches after collection and the plastic fraction was analysed using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to determine the plastic types. The results of the waste sorting and NIR analysis are now being processed and will be used, among others, to develop waste flow diagrams of the Port areas.