ISLAMABAD: The Collect and Recycle (CoRe) Alliance has expressed concerns over the ban on the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles across various categories in Islamabad.
The alliance believes that such a ban would be scientifically unjustified, environmentally counterproductive, inconsistent with international circular economy’s best practices, and detrimental to businesses operating in the country.
It added that the proposed ban contradicts the spirit of the ICT Single-Use Plastics (Prohibition) Regulations, 2023 and international best practices.
PET is a lightweight, food-grade, 100pc recyclable polymer with an established collection and recycling value chain and unlike some plastics, post-consumer PET bottles are commercially valuable and sought after for recycling into fibres, packaging and new bottles, supporting economic activity and livelihoods across collection, sorting and recycling.
A ban could undermine this circular economy value chain. Scientific life-cycle assessments evaluate packaging impacts from raw material extraction and manufacturing to transportation, collection and end-of-life management.
It added that replacing PET with glass, aluminium or other single-use alternatives may not improve environmental outcomes, as heavier materials can increase transportation emissions while others require more energy and resources for production.
The priority should, therefore, be to strengthen existing PET waste collection, segregation and recycling systems to prevent environmental leakage, rather than banning a valuable and recyclable material.
Leading international regulatory frameworks, including the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), prioritise packaging recyclability, effective collection and recycling systems, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), rather than imposing blanket bans on recyclable PET beverage packaging.
Similarly, the ICT Single-Use Plastics (Prohibition) Regulations, 2023, notified under the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997, already provide a regulatory foundation for addressing plastic pollution.
Rather than pursuing a blanket PET ban, the government should strengthen implementation through mandatory producer-funded collection and recycling systems, measurable recovery targets, waste segregation and investment in recycling infrastructure.
The alliance has said that the ICT should prioritise a scientifically informed, EPR-led circular economy framework that recognises PET waste as a valuable resource and holds producers accountable for its post-consumer collection and responsible management, rather than relying on material-specific prohibitions.
The CoRe Alliance brings together a diverse group of members.
Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2026
