Pakistan Govt. Entrusts a Plan Climate Change Ministry to Beat Plastic Pollution

• Pakistan Launches Initiative for Reducing Plastic Pollution, Making of Green Pakistan

Islamabad: Pakistan’s federal government has entrusted the Climate Change Ministry with a 10-year plan involving provincial governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to beat plastic pollution in the country.

According to the details, the climate change ministry is directed to prepare this plan in coordination with the provincial authorities that can greatly support in implementing this plan in letter and spirit.

Different stakeholders will be participating in this project. Traders’ organisations will also be consulted to get their input about the ways and means to end use of plastic bags.

Moreover, the NGOs will help launch awareness campaigns to make people know about adverse effects of plastic bags on the natural environment.

According to scientific facts, the plastic pollution is the accumulation of synthetic plastic products in the natural environment that reaches an extent where it causes problems for wildlife habitats, ecosystems and human populations.

The World Economic Forum found that 78 million tonnes of plastic is produced annually, and only 14% is recycled, and 32% is leaked into the environment, data reports show.

The environmental experts have opined that the people should make ‘green choices’ at home in choosing products with less plastic packaging.

They should move away from the throwaway culture and avoid cosmetics and personal hygiene products with microbeads.

An official has said, “We should readopt our traditional way of shopping in which people used to bring their own reusable bags. The use of plastic straws are also among the top items of marine plastics, and they are generally not recyclable. So we will also find out its alternative in consultation with the private companies.

” He said, “A lot of our waste is made of plastic, and we create a lot of litter as a society. If we are less wasteful, we can make a difference. It takes over 400 years for plastic to decompose, which is an incredibly long time considering the amount of plastic we need to get rid of.”

“The entire planet’s ecology depends on the oceans. Plastic pollution is a serious threat to marine life and ecosystems. It is estimated that there are millions of tons of plastic in our oceans. Global reports indicate that 8 to 12 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the oceans every year,” Sherry Rehman, Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator, said in her message on 2023 World Oceans Day.

Nature has blessed Pakistan with a marine ecosystem, harmful effects of plastic waste on our own oceans should not be ignored as Pakistan presents a 7Rs road-map to combat plastic pollution, Sherry Rehman added.

“We have announced a phased ban on single-use plastic items, with the aim of reducing its consumption and encouraging the use of environmentally friendly alternatives, she stressed.