The Youth Champions of the Environment – 2025 event was successfully held on November 25, 2025, at Radisson Blu Chattogram. The program was an inspiring initiative of the Plastic Waste Management Project, jointly implemented by Unilever Bangladesh, YPSA, and Chattogram City Corporation.
This year, more than 200 youth from across Bangladesh applied to participate. After a rigorous evaluation process, the Jury Board selected six Youth Champions, who presented their innovative, practical, and solution-focused ideas at the event.
The program featured three thematic sessions led by renowned national experts:
- Youth-Led Change – Skills for the Future, facilitated by Md. Tajdin Hassan, CBO, The Daily Star | COO, Keeron
- Youth Empowerment Through Digital Innovation, facilitated by Sajid Mahbub, MCIM, CEO & Executive Editor, Bangladesh Brand Forum
- Volunteerism for a Better Environment, conducted by Muntasir Mamun, International Coastal Cleanup Country Coordinator, Bangladesh
- COP30 Reflections, presented by Afra Nawar Rahman, Youth Coordinator, YPSA
Keynote speeches were delivered by Dr. Mohammed Arifur Rahman, Founder & Chief Executive of YPSA, and Shajada Md. Shamsuzzaman, Assistant Director, Department of Environment, Chattogram.
Special remarks were shared by Captain Ikhtiar Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Chief Conservancy Officer, Chattogram City Corporation.
The Chief Guest, Mohammed Ashraful Amin, Secretary & CEO (Acting), Chattogram City Corporation, delivered the necessary remarks and fruitful discussion.
The Plastic Waste Management initiative has already created a remarkable city-wide impact—training more than 3,000 waste pickers and 200 scrap dealers, reaching over 20,000 households, 410 youth volunteers, and 9,000+ students through continuous awareness efforts. To date, the project has facilitated the collection of 29,000+ tons of plastic waste, of which nearly 70% is single-use plastic successfully diverted from the environment.
