Connectingcleanercanalswithcollectiveaction

In Kallyanpur, Dhaka, the PLEASE pilot addressed plastic waste clogging canals and disrupting urban drainage. The initiative combined floating waste barriers, stronger recycling networks and community engagement to connect canal restoration with practical improvements in waste management and waste workers’ livelihoods.

RedOrange led the pilot’s design and implementation, linking waste interception with local collection models, behaviour change activities and training. The pilot reported removing 52.48 metric tonnes of plastic waste per month, exceeding its 35-tonne target, and connected 44 sorting centres with recyclers. Outreach reached more than 209,000 people, while 159 waste workers and sorting actors received training and 31 community groups were established to support canal cleanliness.