Pakistan overnight Ban on

Plastic Bags is Effective Way for

Environmental Sustainability?
Background of Industry:
The plastics industry in Pakistan is one of the most seasoned in the nation and its reality can be followed
out even in the year 1947 when Pakistan appeared. Whatever the amount of those machines was, they
were little in number and all set in Lahore. The period from 1965-1975 was famously the vital turning
point, where the usage of plastics was seen rising to a primary power in the country, with a sizeable
base. (PPMA)
Today plastics material found the fourth largest item of imports and this sector alone contributes
considerably to the national monetary resource in several heads. The per capita consumption within the
country has additionally shown associate degree upward trend throughout the last fifteen years. Islamic
Republic of Pakistan is that the second-largest domestic market in South East Asia with the 212 million
strong population of Pakistan growing at an annual rate of 2.7%, coupled with new foreign and local
investment. Till the early years of the 1990s, the customs duty on plastics raw material was on the
unrealistically higher side of about 120 % which has been gradually brought down to the current level
of 20%. (PITAD)
PROVINCE WICE PLASTIC UNITS
Balochistan
3%
NWFP
7%
Punjab
Sindh Sindh
30% NWFP
Punjab
60% Balochistan

Directly there are 8,000 processing plants of plastic bags in Pakistan. The whole business is self-
financed and this segment is likewise among the best five income creating divisions of Pakistan and is
the foundation of small and medium undertakings and cabin industry. The business contributes around
MANPOWER
Rupees 8 billion ENGAGED
every year to the national WITH
exchequer by PLASTIC
method for customs obligation, deals duty, and
annual assessment. (LCCI) INDUSTRY
Labour Engage with Industry:
18,000, 3%
42,000, 7%
PUNJAB
SINDH
180,000, 30%
360,000, 60% NWFP
BALOCHISTAN
The absolute venture made by the huge scale upstream plastic industry is around Rs. 5.677 billion. An
expected Rs 10 billion has been contributed by the downstream plastic industry of Pakistan. The
business pulled in speculation adding up to more than US$ 260 billion, practically 50% of which was
an outside direct venture. The business is contributing more than Rs7.5 billion every year to the national
exchequer looking like a custom obligation, deals assessment, and annual expense. Its commitment to
the (GDP) was 1.69 percent. (SBP Report 2017)

Factors behind Policy Formation:

Utilization of perilous plastic bags rising:

Plastic bags don't promptly separate in the earth, expecting 20 to 1,000 years to break down and the
utilization of plastic bags is ascending at the pace of 15 percent every year, and as a nearby media house
had as of late detailed, upwards of 12 million plastic bags were utilized in Pakistan somewhere in the
range of 1990 and 1991 and this utilization had flooded to 43 billion of every 2005 and up to 55 billion
out of 2007. (Ministry of climate change)
In Pakistan, the plastic waste age is 0.1 kg/individual every day. In Pakistan, every year, 30 million tons
of strong waste is created, out of which 18 % are plastics. Pakistan is tragically over the nations that
fumble plastic transfer at the pace of 100 %. (LWMC)
Land:
Plastics can discharge hurtful synthetic compounds into the encompassing soil, which would able to
saturate groundwater or other encompassing water sources. This can cause genuine recorded issues:
• Contributor nursery impact.
• Biodegradable plastics likewise degrade whenever left on the ground.
Sea:
Plastics in seas ordinarily decompose inside a year, yet not so much, and in the process dangerous
Synthetic concoctions, for example, bisphenol and polystyrene can filter into waters from certain
plastics.
• Plastic contamination can possibly harm creatures which are human nourishment supplies.
• People feel difficult to live close by Sea and weaken the travel industry.
Impacts on people:
The impacts of plastic contamination on human wellbeing remain generally unnoticed. Polythene bags
and bundling, with the assistance of which you can expend palatable things in a hurry, contain Bisphenol
an, abbreviated as BPA, that come in direct contact with the fluid and nourishment in it. BPA is very
lethal for the individual in taking it.
Plastic bags square waste frameworks causing flood-like circumstances in the urban areas. In addition,
plastic is probably the greatest source behind the across the board contamination in the seas. Regardless
of the reusing of items made of plastic has been made a typical practice in the western world still just a
small amount of all out plastic generation is reused. Its remainder is discarded in the landfill. Plastics
contain a wide range of sorts of synthetic substances A portion of the synthetic concoctions utilized in
plastic generation can possibly be consumed by individuals through skin retention.
Causes:
• Plastic may absorb lethal synthetic compounds before moving into the ocean
• When fish expend plastics and lethal synthetic compounds drained by plastics, we eat those
• contaminated fish
• Even if a fish is cleaned before cooking, we may at present be debased with lethal chemicals in
its tissue
Results:
• Chemicals people are presented to because of plastic contamination (drinking defiled
• water or eating defiled fish) are related with:
• Cancers, Birth surrenders , Childhood improvement issues
Aim of the Policy:
After the 18th constitutional amendment, Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency is mandated with
its function under Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997 for protection, conservation and
rehabilitation of environment in Islamabad Capital Territory. The fines in Pakistan will likewise be
steep — 5,000 Rs for utilizing a solitary pack, 10,000 Rs. for selling one and up to 500,000 Rs for
assembling them.
• It is evaluated that nourishment wrappers and compartments produce 31.15% of contamination
in nature. Jugs and compartments top produce 15.5% of contamination in nature. Plastic bags
cause 11.18% natural contamination, straw and stirrers produce 8.13%, drink bottles cause
7.27% contamination in the earth.
• Reduce single-use plastics that are harming the earth.
• Around 80% of channels the nation over are gagged because of plastic bags.
• Will stay in our biological system for one thousand years, as polyethylene bags don't
disintegrate.
• Owing to their benefit, accessibility, and reasonableness, poly-bags have unintentionally
become a necessary piece of our way of life.
• Plastic bags are inescapable in Pakistan. This is the reason you can without much of a stretch
spot polythene bags all over—in markets, cafés, shopping centers, and so on. It's disturbing on
the grounds that plastic contamination is one of the greatest natural difficulties our reality is
confronting at this moment.
• Available as containers, wrappers, family unit things, toys, bags and different kinds of bundling,
things made of plastic might be making our lives simpler however they are dirtying our
condition.
Business Reactions:
Business Association call strike and block road on Overnight blanket ban on this sector has disturbed
hundreds of thousands of families associated with this sector directly or indirectly for long.
“Government should take decision that wouldn’t affect millions of workers,” said Jehanzeb Jilani. The
association had its own research and development and standing committees on environment that offered
suitable suggestions and roadmap to the government for legislation. (LCCI)

Natural perils presented by plastic bags were really a disappointment of waste administration
organizations. The association has presented all the relevant answers for the administration to address
these issues. At least 45-micron thickness and 12" x 15" size that can be effectively re-utilized, gathered
and reused, which was acknowledged by the specialized and lawful groups of the legislature.
Polyethylene is a Nourishment and Medication Affirmed item all around the globe. Nations like the US,
Australia, Canada, and Europe, and so forth have not prohibited plastic bags, yet controlled them, as
recommended by the bags fabricating association.
Clash:
The government's choice to ban plastic shopping bags will take work from several people. Concerned
specialists to devise appropriate law as opposed to restricting plastic shopping bags. There isn't even
one nation on the planet that has a total restriction on the utilization of plastic shopping bags.
The administration had no logical proof to help the contention that oxo-biodegradable bags are hurtful
to the earth. Ministry of Climate Changes should convince the majority that oxo-biodegradable bags
cause any mischief to nature, people, and creatures. Actually, oxo-biodegradable plastic bags transform
into compost when tossed into the dirt.
Dealers contended that these bags cost Rs2 per bag, contrasted with the administration's new degradable
bags that cost more than Rs20.
Did the government plan a strategy for how it would compensate or suggest an alternate for the
businessmen and the hundreds of thousands of labour force associated with the plastic bag industry who
they are putting out of business?
Negotiation was held with all the stakeholders, mainly the plastic bags association, recycling
association, and academia. They said experts and scientists guided the ministry on legislation to ban
plastic bags.
Current Situation of Industry:
Over 8,000 factories of plastic bags are providing direct or indirect work to a huge number of individuals
in the nation. This segment is additionally among the best five revenue-generating sectors of Pakistan
and is the backbone of small and medium enterprises and cottage industry.

There are around 8,021 manufacturing units in the country with average production capacity of 250-
500 kg per day, majority of them are cottage industry.

Roughly, 160,000 individuals are straightforwardly, and 600,000 dependent on plastic bag industry.
Pakistan had banned production sale and usage through district administration but due to weak
implementation, plastic bags are offered at almost every store of capital no matter small or big.

Current Stance of Government:

The Ministry of Climate Change in Pakistan is set for check various kinds of awareness campaigns on
public as well a private level have likewise been sorted out to teach various areas of our general public,
above all most importantly the young generation.
Notwithstanding plastic bags, bags utilized for potato chips are likewise a toxin. The administration has
asked producers from such bags to gather and reuse them. The subject of nature has been moved to the
provinces under the eighteenth Amendment, and they will choose whether to boycott plastic bags in
their areas.

The Islamabad Municipal Corporation (IMC) has planned to launch a very interactive drive regarding
the plastic ban. According to this drive, new plastic-like cloth bags and degradable plastic bags will be
introduced in the city. The next phase would include penalizing of citizens who would violate the ban.

News has also started rolling in from different urban areas of Pakistan, for example, Quetta, Lahore and
Karachi, where legitimate move is being made against individuals involved in the generation, buy and
clearance of plastic bags. In Karachi, the Defence Housing Authority has has as of late forced a
sweeping prohibition on the utilization of plastic bags. All things considered, whenever pursued
reliably, such measures can possibly significantly bring down the ecological contamination in Pakistan.
 Plastic bottles replaced by glass bottles for the distribution of different types of beverages and the
replacement of polythene bags with paper bags and biodegradable bags. It’s slowly and gradually
becoming a norm in Pakistan by taking responsibility to try our level best to cut back the use of plastic
and recent “Say No to Plastic” awareness campaign.
Plan the counteract to respond to the citizens’ confusion and hindrances following plastic-ban because
as soon as the ban was imposed in the federal capital – Islamabad, the confusion was comprehensive,
many that weren't awake to this modification, had to face important trouble while shopping.

Industry’s Future:

Representatives of plastic bag manufacturers suggest that to survival of the industry in increase the
thickness of polythene bags from 15 to 50 microns will reduce their use and end pollution and 10-12
microns thick cost 25 paisas to produce, while 50 micron thick bags cost Rs3.5 per piece and will reduce
use, as people will reuse such bags many times and will not dispose of them out in the open.

Consider it a mix of old techniques and new innovation, individuals have thought of various methods for
avoiding non-biodegradable plastic items. The growing hazard of plastic contamination brought about the
invention of biodegradable plastic. It requires some investment to decompose and is considered
environmentally friendly. Multinational hypermarket and supermarket chains in the world like Spar and
Carrefour have already started providing bags made of cloth and biodegradable plastics.

Proper disposal techniques should be implemented and start massive awareness programmes through
PPMA to educate the people about uses of plastic bags. With the help of government recycling plants and
waste collection units can be install countrywide. High Prices can be imposed on plastic bag manufacturing
companies in order to discourage consumption and preference for single-use plastic.

Ask government to regulate and discourage excessive use of bags as some supermarkets charge their
customers for plastic bags, and in some places more efficient reusable or biodegradable materials are being
used in place of plastics. Some communities and businesses have place a ban on some normally used plastic
things, such as bottled water and plastic bag.