PLASTIC waste, produced in large quantities, causes substantial damage to people and the ecosystem. The inauguration of the first Polyethylene Plastic Recycling Plant, in collaboration with a waste management company, at the Garbage Transfer Station of the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board in Hyderabad, is a step in the right direction to treat the city’s plastic garbage. A part of the World Bank-funded PLEASE project (Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia), the public sector venture will produce manhole covers — frequently stolen by drug addicts — from recycled plastic. The company, with SSWMB, is also searching for a landfill site where, over the next two years, it can establish a plant to generate power from garbage for electricity needs. It aims to create awareness about reducing waste and identifying recyclable items. Currently, as per the project head, out of the 1,100 tonnes of municipal solid waste collection, eight tonnes is polyethylene plastic; 3pc of the latter is being used to manufacture 100 manhole covers for civic bodies.

It is well known that plastic waste poisons entire water bodies, resulting in devastating effects on marine life. The Hyderabad initiative’s success should, therefore, be ensured and replicated across the country, particularly in Karachi. The latter has turned into a vast garbage landfill. An earlier endeavour in Punjab of a plastic-infused road was a success. In 2023, Sindh announced the same ambition but it came to naught. As for packaging, utilising reusable plastic, instead of single-use plastic, can conserve resources and reduce waste. While the world searches for a permanent sustainable option, paper, glass and metal are suitable replacements for now. The impact of any material on the environment needs to be monitored to ensure that it does more good than harm. Administrative resolve to tackle socioeconomic and environmental losses must be visible and aggressive.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2025