Our Mission
To give discarded banners a second life by turning PVC waste into durable, useful products, and to show our communities that waste can be reused instead of dumped.
Our journey
About Us
Who We Are
In Bangla, উৎস (Utsho) means "source". We believe waste is not the end of a material's life. It can be the source of something new.
Our Story
A Reuse Model for PVC Banners
UTSHO started in February 2026 in Chattogram as a youth-led initiative focused on a waste stream almost no one was reusing: PVC banners. Printing shops regularly discard banners from misprints and cancelled orders, and campaigns and events leave behind thousands more. Most of it ends up as plastic waste, adding to the plastic that clogs the city's drains. There was no reuse model for this material, so we started one.
Our Vision
A world where nothing is made just once. Starting in Chattogram, we are building a reuse model that cities across Bangladesh, and around the world, can adopt.
Why It Matters
Waste Is a Climate Problem
Made from Fossil Fuels
PVC is a plastic made from fossil fuels. Reusing it gives existing plastic a longer life.
Burning Releases Toxic Smoke
When plastic waste is burned in the open, PVC releases toxic smoke into the air we breathe.
Blocked Drains, Flooded Streets
As monsoon rains grow heavier, plastic-clogged drains leave Chattogram's streets waterlogged.
Chattogram produces nearly 3,000 tonnes of municipal waste every day. (Source: UNDP Bangladesh)
Our Impact So Far
as of October 2026
44.82 kg
Banner collected
40
Products sold
5
Banner sources
2
Local artisans
Banners come from 3 printing shops, 1 coaching centre and 1 campaign collection. Two local artisans, one woman and one man, stitch every piece.
Our Contribution to the Global Goals
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 4 Quality Education
Showing our communities that discarded banners can be reused instead of dumped.
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
Local livelihoods built around reuse and skilled craft, including for local artisans.
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
Less plastic in the waste that blocks drains and worsens waterlogging.
SDG 13 Climate Action
Keeping plastic out of drains and away from open burning.
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
Supported by Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC). Supported by UNICEF Bangladesh
Supported By
LIA Scale-up Funding
Supported by UNICEF Bangladesh