ARMY INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS

ADMINISTRATION, SAVAR
TERM PAPER
ON

“An Eco-Startup: upcycling single-use plastics and increasing their

lifetime to keep them away from nature.”
Course name: Environmental studies
Course Code: GED 1207

Submitted To
Md. Mahabub Morshed
Lecturer
Army IBA, Savar

Submitted by:
Jahidul Haque Omi
Batch: BBA 9 C
ID: 92211143

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 17TH November 2022.

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 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

17 November 2022
Md. Mahabub Morshed
Lecturer-Marketing
Army Institute of Business Administration,
Subject: Submission “A Eco-Startup: upcycling single-use plastics and
increasing their lifetime to keep them away from nature.”
Dear Sir.
Here is our report on ‘’Eco-Startup & how you will implement in Bangladesh’’
,that you have assigned us to submit as a partial requirement for the course – ‘’
Environmental studies”’’Course Code - GED 1207 “ While preparing this report,
we have taken help from the internet, books, class lectures and relevant sources.
Though we have tried our best, it may contain some unintentional errors. We hope
this report will come up with your expectations.
We will be glad to answer any kind of question-related to this report and we will be
glad to provide further clarification if needed.
Yours faithfully,

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We sincerely acknowledge our debt to our course advisor Mahbub Morshed,

Lecturer, Army Institute of Business Administration for his valuable counseling
towards the improvement of the report. Without his encouragement, this would have
never been possible.
We are overwhelmed with gratitude to our course advisor as he helped us in terms
of propulsion and completing this term paper impeccably.

Yours faithfully,

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 DECLARATION

We hereby declare this term paper has been written by myself and has not been
previously submitted to any other University/ Institution/ Journal/ Organization.
Some data are copied from sources that are mentioned in the reference.
The work does not breach any copyright.

Yours faithfully,

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 SUPERVISOR’S CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the work embodied in the accompanying report entitled “New
product Development” has been carried out entirely by the students as a research
scholar under my direct supervision and guideline and the students have fulfilled the
requirements of the regulations laid down for the 2nd Semester Final examination of
Army Institute of Business Administration.

Md. Mahabub Morshed

Lecturer
Army Institute of Business Administration,
Savar Cantonment, Dhaka.

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 Abstract
Currently, plastic pollution is causing great damage to the environment. Among

these, single-use plastic has become more dangerous due to behavioral reasons. In

this situation, we have come up with a solution to protect the environment. We will

upcycle single-use plastics into other long-term products. This will reduce the

amount of plastic in the environment. And at the same time, it will be a profitable

business. Our brand name is Sobuj Songsar, and initially we are going to produce

four household products.

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 TABEL OF CONTENT

TOPIC NO. TOPIC NAME PAGE NO.

1 Introduction 8
2 Background 9
3 Situation in Bangladesh 10
4 The solution and idea generation 11
5 Brand Overview 12
6 Supply Chain Management 13
7 Production and operation 15
7 Market Segmentation 16
8 Marketing Philosophy & Mix 17
9 Need or Demand or Want 19
10 Marketing Strategy 20
11 Financial Feasibility 23
12 Why should my business be considered eco- 24
friendly?
13 Conclusion 25
14 References 26

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 Introduction
Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues, as rapidly increasing
production of disposable plastic products overwhelms the world’s ability to deal with them. The
fast increase in the production of disposable plastic goods has outpaced the world's capacity to
handle them, making plastic pollution one of the most urgent environmental problems. As a result
of ineffective or nonexistent rubbish collection systems, plastic pollution is especially noticeable
in developing Asian and African countries. However, the industrialized world also has challenges
with proper plastic waste collection, particularly in nations with poor recycling rates. A global
convention being negotiated by the UN is being considered because plastic waste has spread so
widely. In this situation, there is an urgent need to curb plastic pollution. And upcycling can be a
way in this case. So we came up with a business idea based on plastic upcycling.It will contribute
to the protection of the environment as well as generate a lot of money.

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 Background
In almost every aspect of our daily lives, we are surrounded by plastic. We are stuck in the circle
of plastic because of its low cost and ease of carrying. As soon as people start accepting plastic
because of its benefits, its dangers come to the fore even faster. Even though everyone in the world
agrees on the consequences of plastic use, its production and use cannot be controlled.

Over 380 million tons of plastic are produced each year, and according to certain statistics, up to
50% of it is used for single-use items, which are only used briefly yet remain on the earth for at
least a few hundred years. Only about 9% of it is recycled. As a result of this From the bottom of
the oceans to the most remote areas of the world, plastic is littered. Each year, our oceans get an
estimated 10 million tons of plastic waste. Microplastics are now found even in breast milk.
Plastics have a direct impact on land and sea life. 1 million marine animals are killed by plastic
pollution every year.

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 Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is rapidly urbanizing and has a significant population, which results in a sizable annual
production of plastic. However, because of poor waste management, plastic pollution is becoming
a serious problem in this area. Bangladesh's annual per capita usage of plastic in urban areas tripled
during the previous 15 years, rising from 3.0 kg in 2005 to 9.0 kg in 2020. Plastic bags and other
LDPE packaging materials were used five times as much in 2020 as they were in 2005. Only 31%
of the 977,000 tons of plastic used in 2020 were recycled. As a result, 48% of plastic waste goes
to landfills, 37% is recycled, 12% ends up in water bodies, and 3% is dumped in drains and
undeveloped areas.Single-use plastics like shopping bags, packs, and wrappers accounted for the
majority of improperly managed plastic garbage. Cities, rural areas, rivers, and canals are all being
polluted by poorly managed plastic waste. They cause urban flooding by clogging sewers. Plastic
poses serious harm to people, marine life, and ecosystems because it breaks down slowly and
produces small particles (known as microplastics).European nations consume more plastic on
average per person than Bangladesh does, at over 100 kg on average. However, due to poor
handling of plastic waste, Bangladesh is one of the most plastic-polluted nations.The condition of
Dhaka is worse than the rest of the country.

The capital Dhaka’s annual per capita plastic consumption is more than three times the national
average for urban areas and stands at 22.25 kg. About 646 tons of plastic waste is collected daily
in Dhaka, which is 10 percent of all wastes generated in Bangladesh. Only 37.2 percent of the
plastic waste in Dhaka is recycled.

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 The solution and idea generation
In such a situation, there is no alternative but to remove unwanted plastic from the nature of the
country to protect Bangladesh from the horrors of this plastic pollution.And we have come up with
a solution to solve this plastic problem. A business idea that will simultaneously remove plastic
from the environment and make money. A start-up that will make money by recycling and
upcycling single-use plastics.

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 Brand Overview

Basic function: We will collect plastic waste, categorize it according to type, and produce
household products like pillows, cushions, tables, and chairs to keep these plastics out of the
environment for a long time.

Name of the Brand: সবু জ সংসার ( sobuj songsar)

Brand Slogan : ঘর থেকেই থ াে শুরু

Price : It will be much cheaper than the conventional market

Ingredients : single use plastic waste

Brand Logo

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 Supply chain management

সবু জ সংসার(Sobuj Songsar)'s supply chain management begins with the collection of raw

materials, which are plastics, and ends with the delivery of products to customers.
The basic steps in supply chain management for Sobuj songsar are:

 Rawmaterial collection
 Production and operation
 Sales & marketing

Rawmaterial collection

Every day, Dhaka generates 646 metric tons of plastic waste, according to the World Bank. But
due to poor management of the city corporation, they cause heavy pollution. Bangladesh has
designed a "National Action Plan for Sustainable Plastic Management" in partnership with the
World Bank. The project aims to reduce plastic use by 50% by 2025, eliminate single-use plastic
by 90% by 2026, and minimise plastic waste production by 30% by 2030, starting from 2020-
21.Therefore, it can be said without a doubt that the authority will be our partner in material
collection.

Our main target in this case is single-use plastics. So, we will collect specific plastics according to
our needs and broadly divide them into two categories.

 Soft plastics
 Hard plastics

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Image: Soft plastics

Image: Hard plastics

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 Production and operation

Initially, we will produce four products from two types of specific plastics. Like-

 We will manufacture pillows and cushions from soft plastic.

 We will produce tables and chairs from hard plastic.

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 Market segmentation
Market segmentation is the process of categorising potential markets into segments or groups with
similar demands and responses to a marketing action. This strategy enables businesses to target
different types of clients with different perceptions of the absolute value of different products and
services.

Types of Segmentation Segmentation Criteria Target Group

Region Bangladesh
Geographic Density Urban and rural
Age 16-45
Gender Male & Female
Demographic Life-Cycle Stage Environmentally conscious youth

Income Avg, Above Average

Occupation Student, officials
Less expensive and better for
Benefit Sought the environment
Behavioral Personality Modern, Ease of use of Eco
friendly products
Social Class Middle & High class
Psychographic Accustomed to Eco friendly
Life Style environment, those who
concerns about environment

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 Marketing Philosophy
We adopted the Societal Concept as our marketing philosophy. The foundation of Societal
marketing is the idea of societal benefit. It highlights that an organization must consider the
demands of the organization, the long-term interests of society, and customer wants while making
strategic marketing decisions.

The concepts of corporate social responsibility and sustainable development are the root of social
marketing. It emphasizes that in order for an organization to fulfill its mission and realize its vision,
it should not disregard the long-term welfare of society. An organization should make sure that the
right actions and laws are carried out and should have moral and environmentally beneficial
policies.

In today's world, when environmental degradation is getting worse, resources are getting scarcer,
population is growing quickly, and social services are being neglected. Marketing's influence on
society is questioned. "Are firms doing an exceptional job of customer satisfaction in line with
meeting long-term social welfare?" is a question that is raised.

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Marketing Mix: According to Neil Border, organizations blend the various elements of the
marketing mix into a marketing strategy that helps the organization compete and develop a
differentiated position in the marketplace. The 4Ps of Marketing Mix are -

1. Product: We will initially produce two types of products: pillows and cushions made of soft
plastic (e.g., polythene, wrap) and chair-tables made of hard plastic.

2. Price: The price of these products will be much lower than the alternative products running in
the market

3. Place (channels of distribution): Distribution mix of “Hemlock Plantscaping” has taken

a new dimension with the emergence of Online & Offline Retailing & domination.

4. Promotion: We will do nationwide marketing on the occasion of the theme of environment

protection

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 Need or Demand or Want
Pillows, cushions, tables, and chairs are essential practical elements in the daily lives of
people of all ages, all races, all classes, and all professions.So they are needed for
everyone.Moreover, protecting the environment has become essential for people and the
price of these daily essential products is also unacceptable.

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 Marketing Strategy

সবু জ সংসার = Less cost, less pollution

Our message to the potential customers will be – buy সবু জ সংসার to save both money and
the environment

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AWARE:

 Launch সবু জ সংসার on World Environment Day.

 Create memes to engage

 Digital Marketing
 Billboards
 Newspaper Ad
 Graffiti

Billboards in Hemayetpur

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PENETRATE:

Create an e-commerce site where anyone who buys a product from

us can see in real time how many plastic bottles or polythene he
helped to eliminate from the environment.

Buy it Remove them

Collaboration with BD Clean

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 Financial Feasibility

Campaign Particulars Cost Reach

Brand Launch Facebook event boost 20,000 3,00,000
Meme Marketing 1,000 50,000
Graphiti 10,000 100,000
Poster & Banner 40,000 2,00,000
Tree plantation on earth day- broadcast 60,000 5,37,000
Youtube ad 35,000 7,00,000
Website 50,000 8,00,000
Newspaper ad 20,000 3,00,000
Grand Total 236,000 150,000

Assumption
Conversion Rate 3.25%
Retention Rate 25%
Average Basket Size 1st Time Cutomers 381
Average Basket Size 445
Profit Margin 11.5%

Financial Summary
Head Value
Total Budget 236,000
Total Reach 150,000
Cost Per Reach 1.573
Total Conversion 4,875
Total Retention 1,219
Total Revenue 2,399,719
Total Profit 275,968
Marketing ROI 16.94%

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 Why should my business be considered eco-friendly?

 The basic raw material is single-used plastic waste.

 A single product of mine prevents significant amounts of plastic from polluting
nature.
 We estimate that in the first year alone, we will be able to remove 498 metric tons
of plastic from the environment.
 Our carbon footprint is negative

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 Conclusion

Experts have highlighted the horrors of plastic pollution in front of the people of the world, and
the people of the world agree today about the horrors of plastic pollution. Experts have suggested
various ways to prevent plastic pollution. One of the most effective ways is upcycling. Our
business idea is based on plastic upcycling. Being a highly populated country, the demand for
single-use plastic is very high in Bangladesh. But due to the mismanagement of the authorities,
plastic pollution has taken a terrible shape in Bangladesh. Every river and canal in the capital,
Dhaka, is dying due to polythene. But our business idea can be the solution to this problem. We
estimate that we will be able to remove around 498 metric tons of plastic from the environment in
the first year.

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References:

1. Singh P, Sharma VP. Integrated plastic waste management: environmental and improved

health approaches. Procedia Environ. Sci. 2016;35:692-700

2. Mehnaz H, Aditi S. Export Potential of Recycled Plastic: A Study on Bangladesh. Asian

Soc. Sci. 2020;16:12-28

3. Sanket P, Abhishek N, Abhishek KM. Plastic waste management and current scenario in

India: a review. Int. J. Environ. Anal. Chem. 20191-13

4. Bernd RTS, Patricia MM, Borys MD. Combustion products of plastics as indicators for

refuse burning in the atmosphere. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2005;39:6961-6970

5. Erik VS, Matthew HE, Gary F. Origin, dynamics and evolution of ocean garbage patches

from observed surface drifters. Environ. Res. Lett. 2012;7:044040

6. .Md Munsur R, Tuhin G, Mashfiqus S, et al. Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta,

Bangladesh and India: A Transnational Mega-Delta in: Deltas in the Anthropocene:

Palgrave Macmillan, Cham; 2020. p. 23-51

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