GILGIT: In a bid to prevent pollution and protect the natural environment and ecosystem of the region, the Gilgit-Baltistan government has launched two initiatives.

The GB government on Thursday sig­ned three Memorandums of Under­stan­ding (MoUs) with Nestle, Pepsi, and Coca-Cola to establish the PET Bottle Return System to eliminate it from waste streams.

Under these MoUs, each company will install PET bottle crushing and baling units in two district headquarters of GB, in addition to establishing collection points for PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles in urban centres of GB.

The GB government officials and top management of Nestle, Pepsi and Coca-Cola attended the ceremony held at GB House in Islamabad.

The GB Environmental Protection Agency (GBEPA) will be the focal agency on the government side, and CoRe will be the focal point for the companies.

GB Chief Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani has led the process of establishing the PET Bottles Return Back system from its conception to its implementation with specific timelines.

According to a statement, after the installation of crushing and baling units and the establishment of collection points, the system will be handed over to the GB Waste Management Company, which will operate the collection and baling of PET bottles with a private contractor who will pay the waste management company.

GBEPA will monitor and oversee the implementation of the process during and after establishment.

Earlier, the GB government decided to make it mandatory for all large hotel facilities to be solarised to promote sustainable development and environmental conservation.

All deputy commissioners have been directed to ensure that no-objection certi­f­i­­cates for all new hotels will only be gra­nted if they include solar energy systems in their building plans. Existing facilities will be given six months to upgrade.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2023