As much as plastic has a hand in marine, sewage, and air pollution of the planet, perhaps not as much as toxic carbon gases, but despite this, the production of plastic and plastic waste continues.

Prevention of plastic bags and advertising of brands

In this February 13, 2011 photo, a laborer sells plastic bags at a Sunday market in Islamabad

The world's fifth largest democracy, ranked eighth among the countries most affected by climate change, Pakistan stands in the list of the world's top 10 countries in the production of plastic waste .

The role of plastic in marine, sewage and air pollution of the planet is probably not as much as that of toxic carbon gases, but despite this, the production of plastic and plastic waste continues.

When it comes to alternatives to plastic bags in Pakistan , things add up. Be it big shopping malls or many brands that are now charging the price of the shopping bag i.e. the shopper in addition to their products.

If you buy a shoe worth 10,000 to 15,000, that big brand will charge you 60 to 100 rupees for the shopping bag separately. Similarly, even if you buy a month's ration from a big general store, the consumer will have to pay for their promotional bag.

Of course, there is no law to prevent these brands from charging the price of this bag and they are also getting a double benefit i.e. instead of investing in advertising, they are getting it from the consumer's pocket instead of charging the price and branding for free. Because those bags are reused.

Whether it is milk, curd shop or curry, polythene bags are used. Apart from this, there is still no substitute for these liquid goods in the market, where the prices of the goods have gone up, the same shopkeepers are worried. It is a matter of observation that when people come to buy curd or milk worth Rs.30, they take it to the shopper, the shopkeeper says that the price of the shopper is so high that the savings goes to the shopper.

See the difference that multi-crore brands are seen charging the shopper while the common shopper is providing this shopper for free.

Plastic waste in Pakistan

According to the data of the Ministry of Climate Change, plastic pollution has reached around 460 million tons around the world, while Pakistan alone is producing 3.3 million tons of plastic waste annually, which if collected in one place is two to two. Mountains can form.

According to a research by Comstis, 103 tons of plastic is dumped into water in Pakistan annually, which not only affects the water quality but also affects the drainage system. Apart from this, 1600 tonnes of plastic waste is burnt, which causes respiratory diseases besides air pollution.

Only 28 percent of the more than three million tons of plastic waste generated is collected, while 74 percent of plastic waste is not collected at all. A total of 40 percent of plastic is left open, polluting rivers, while 60 percent is incinerated.

Prevention of plastic bags and advertising of brands

A man picks recyclables from a garbage dump in Karachi on May 14, 2018

What is the government thinking about plastic?

In this regard, when the Prime Minister's coordinator Romina Khurshid was spoken to, she called the prevention of plastic pollution as the most important need of the hour and said that there is a need to ban the production of plastic and the government has a zero tolerance policy on it. It is going to be adopted because it is a matter of generations.

He added: 'We are putting in place a policy to ensure recycling of plastics or use alternatives to plastics such as cloth or paper bags and replace plastic with glass bottles.

According to Rumina Khurshid Alam, the Prime Minister wants to make the capital Islamabad free from single-use plastic bags under the Plastic Regulation 2023.

He said that on the instructions of the Prime Minister, letters have also been sent to all the provinces for strict implementation of the plastic ban.

The following five recommendations have been made in the COMSATS research to prevent the use of plastic.
Plastic production should be reduced
Move towards reuse and alternative use
Plastic waste should be collected more to reduce land and water pollution and
Plastic recycling process should be accelerated and improved.

The global community and plastic prevention

In order to prevent such widespread plastic pollution, 175 countries gathered at the United Nations Environment Assembly session in 2022 and it was decided to eliminate plastic pollution by 2024, but it can still be seen today. That this pollution is increasing instead of decreasing with every passing day.