Diversified jute products

When we think of any product made by jute, the first product that comes to our mind is a sack. It is the traditional use of jute. However, time has changed a lot and with the time being, the use of jute has changed a lot. It is no more used for making a sack that is used for carrying rice and different other types of seeds. Rather, it has been transformed into an array of non-traditional goods, such as trendy handbags, shoes and sandals, laptop and tablet PC carriers, wallets, cushion and pillow covers etc. Diversified products of jute are given as follows- 

Jute products that are used at home-

1. Cushion cover, pillow cover
2. Carpet
3. Lamp post
4. Curtain
5. Table mat
6. Jute tray
7. Shoes and Sandal
8. Jute mat, floor covering

 

Jute products that are used in corporate-

1. Laptop bag
2. Executive bag
3. Wallet
4. Paperweight
5. Folder

 

Jute products that are used in everyday life and party:

1. Shopping bag
2. School bag
3. Water bag
4. Trendy hand bag

 

As jute is a fiber-type material, it can be used for making different products and goods, which are mentioned above.

 

Benefits/Advantages of Jute:

Not only the use of jute products will help develop the county and people's economy but also it will keep the environment safe from various pollutions- air pollution and water pollution. Jute products have various advantages on the economy, country and nature. The advantages of jute products are given below:

 

1. Advantages/Benefits of jute products on the environment:

1. Jute cultivation increases the productivity of the soil.
2. Green jute plants are an important source of providing oxygen to the atmosphere.
3. As there is no use of harmful chemicals in the production process, it is free from air and water pollution. One hectare of jute plants can consume about 15 tons of CO2 and release about 11 tons of oxygen during the jute growing season.
4. Jute fiber is an eco-friendly product and it is 100% recyclable and perishable. As it is a natural fiber, it can be recycled hundreds of times unlike plastics and can be subjected to rough use.
5. Jute cultivation requires little amount of money.

 

2. Benefit to consumers:

Durability: Compared to other products, such as plastic and paper, jute products are much more durable. Jute products are not easy to tear. It has an average lifetime of more than five years.

Reusable: Jute products, especially bags, are reusable. Customers can use it again and again for different purposes. They can reuse them for their future shopping and packing needs.

Strong: The most important feature of jute products is their strength. Jute bags have the reputation of being quite strong and can easily carry up to 15 kilograms compared to conventional carry bags.

Cheap and cost effective: In comparison, it is cheap and cost-effective than other products. Because of its cheap price, it is easily available. As it is reusable, customers do not have to spend money on buying carrier again and again.

Elegance: Its natural golden color adds elegant look to its products. However, varieties of colors are also available in market.

3. Advantages/Benefits for corporation or organization:

Use as a promotional tool: Various organizations can use jute products, especially jute shopping bags, as an important medium of promotional tool. For promotion, a company or organization can make any kind of design, use a logo or any message.

Give advertisement and promotional efforts more visibility: Because of its advantages of reusability and longer duration of time in the hands of customers, advertisement given by organization gets more visibility and promotional effort.

Customizable: Jute products can be customized by printing logos and slogans.

Why should we use it?

There are various reasons for which people will be encouraged to use jute made products. 

1. The first and foremost thing is that it keeps our earth safe from pollutions. So, if we want to keep our earth safe then we have no other option but to increase the use of jute products.
2. It will reduce the production of polyethylene or PVC, which is used in making carry bags. Polyethylene is a high pollution contributor.
3. Using jute products will help save the cultivation of jute, which is considered the oldest part of our culture.
4. As millions of people are directly or indirectly engaged in jute-related jobs, using jute products will help save their families and earn their living. It helps reduce poverty and hunger.
5. Jute has a demand in the international market. So, by exporting jute products, our government can earn foreign currency, which helps contribute to our revenue.
6. If anyone wants to open up his or her own business, he or she may choose the business of selling jute products because it requires less amount of money to invest. It will help increase more entrepreneurs and at the same time will decrease the unemployment rate to a more extent in the urban areas of the world.

Contribution of jute to Bangladesh’s economy: It is needless to say that the garment sector is playing a key role in earning foreign currency in the economy. It contributes more than half of the total economy. However, the contribution of jute products to the Bangladeshi economy is not less compared to other products that are export abroad.

According to a report published on May 7, 2012, in The Financial Express, it has been shown that Bangladesh earned about $23 billion in 2011. Ready-made garments are the highest foreign currency earner with $18 billion, which accounts for more than 78 percent of total export earnings come from this sector, including 41% percent from knit and 38% from woven. Frozen food is the second highest foreign currency earner with 2.92 percent. Then comes chemical products that have 1.8 percent. Jute goods and leather respectively capture 1.73 and 1.13 percent. Other products share 12.04 percent of the total export earnings.

In Bangladesh, 5.5-6.0 million (55-60 lakh) bales of raw jute are produced each year. Out of which, some 3.2 million (32 lakh) bales are used to meet the local demand and 2.4 million (24 lakh) bales of jute are exported to capture the international market.

If we look at the international market, we can see that it has 0.75 million (7.50 lakh) tons of demand for jute goods. Bangladesh is the major exporter with exporting 0.46 million (4.60 lakh) tons of jute goods. India comes after Bangladesh with exporting 0.285 million (2.85 lakh) tons of jute products in the international market. Bangladesh is the only raw jute exporter. It is because raw jute from Bangladesh has earned a reputation for its best quality.

Bangladesh is leading the international jute market with a 62 percent market share, which estimates Taka 20.125 billion (2012.5 crores) income by exporting jute goods. Last year, the country exported 2.4 million (24 lakh) bales of raw jute, which is worth Taka 9.77 million (977 crores).

Among jute products, jute sacks and bags experienced a significant increase in export earnings by 35 percent and earned the US $ 159.89 million in the first eight months of the current fiscal year 2012-13, according to Export Promotion Bureau. Jute yarn and twine also increased by nearly 10 percent and earned $329.06 million during the same period.

Imposing ban on plastic bags: I would like to give thanks to the Bangladesh government for imposing a ban on plastic bags. Bangladesh has become the first country to put a nationwide ban on plastic bags. Because of this wise decision, jute products, especially bags, are regaining the position that they lost to polythene after failing to keep pace with fast-moving technological changes in the packaging sector. This decision has also come as an inspiration for the jute bag industry. There was a big reason behind taking this decision. The government found out that polythene was the main cause of two-third of the country going under water during the 1988 and 1998 floods.