ACCORDING to recent media reports, Pakistan generates 250 million tonnes of garbage each year, including about 3.9 million tonnes of plastic waste, which makes the country one of the biggest plastic polluters in the region.

While neighbouring countries have either partially banned the use of plastic or adopted strategies for its reuse and recycling, Pakistan has seen plastic waste grow exponentially over the years without any effective checks. It causes damage to the environment, and affects the health of people.

Currently, we are recycling only three per cent of the total plastic waste against a potential of recycling up to 18pc waste. The government, therefore, needs to formulate an effective and meaningful policy to restrict the use of plastic, and to optimise the recycling of plastic waste.

Hussain Siddiqui
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2023