ISLAMABAD: As the deadline for ban on use of plastic bags approaches, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam on Thursday urged people to shun use of polythene bags to tackle plastic pollution in all forms.

“Efforts are being made to engage all stakeholders including industrialists, representatives of businesses and trade organisations to support the present government’s initiative to do away with plastic bags once for all,” the PM’s aide said at an event held in connection with creating awareness and sensitising people to hazards of plastic pollution.

The government has set March 1as deadline to put a ban on use of plastic bags in the capital region.

The Ministry of Climate Change in collaboration with the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) Islamabad organised the event in the capital city’s densely-populated rural area of Bahara Kahu regarding negative impacts of plastic bags for environment and public health.

Malik Amin Aslam elaborated that the polythene bags were a major source of plastic pollution, which had emerged as a serious environmental problem.

Says after March 1 deadline, users, sellers and makers of polythene bags to be fined

“While these polythene bags are non-biodegradable, they take around a hundred years to decompose. Not getting completely out of our environment, these contribute to a lot of waste that keeps collecting over the years, and remain in the land which contributes to the rising problem of land pollution,” the PM’s aide Malik Amin Aslam underlined.

Since the covid-19 virus hit the country early last year, all socio-economic activities completely slowed down, a period which unfortunately saw the return of the use of environmentally-devastating polythene bags, Malik Amin Aslam noted.

He said that while efforts of ban on single-use polythene bags had been revived, all stakeholders including public, manufacturers and sellers were being approached to end the use of polythene bags completely.

Use of all single-use polyethylene bags at any level would be punishable with a fine after March 1.

Syed Mujtaba Hussain, who is leading campaigns against polythene bags in the city and is senior joint secretary of the climate change ministry said anyone who used, sold or manufactured the bags will face severe action in the shape of fines.

From next month no one would be allowed to use, sell and manufacture single-use plastic bags at any level, he said.

He warned the shopkeepers and customers alike to avoid using plastic bags after March 1. In case of violation, he said an individual would be fined Rs5,000, a manufacturer Rs100, 000 and a shopkeeper Rs10, 000, he added.

Addressing the event, a lead expert on plastic pollution and chemicals at the climate change ministry, Deputy Director Dr Zaigham Abbas, said that over 55 billion polythene bags were used in the country annually and the number was fast rising.

“However, getting rid of polythene bags at all levels is vital to environmental protection and conservation,” Dr Zaigham Abbas said.

The climate change ministry Dr Zaigham Abbas said: “The government does not want to bring change regarding use of polythene bags through force. Instead, it believes that our slight change in habits will do wonders for future generations as a part of achieving sustainable development goals.”

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2021