Combating Plastic Pollution Needs Implementation Of Laws; Alternative Jobs To Businessmen

Unnerved by the PTI government's legislation to combat plastic pollution, Muhammad Yousaf, a sixty-year old shopkeeper was worried about education and other expenses of his children in case his stocks of plastic bags were not sold in the mandatory six months deadline set by the government

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Jul, 2022 ) :Unnerved by the PTI government's legislation to combat plastic pollution, Muhammad Yousaf, a sixty-year old shopkeeper was worried about education and other expenses of his children in case his stocks of plastic bags were not sold in the mandatory six months deadline set by the government.

Assisted by his son Arshad Khan in his plastic bags business in Firdus Bazar, Muhammad Yousaf who was extremely upset after adaptation of KP Environmental Protection (amended) bill 2022 under which preparation, delivery, storage, import, sale and purchase of plastic bags was banned in KP, said," the PTI government has taken this decision in a haste while overlooking the difficulties and problems of thousands of people affiliated with the business.

"Where will we go," he questioned, adding under the new bill, the shopkeeper could be jailed for six months and fined up to Rs500,000.

He said the provincial government should have consulted and taken the traders and manufacturers of polythene bags into confidence prior to the adoption of the bill besides providing them alternative options to switch.

Yousaf said he had employed six laborers at his shop and it would be difficult for him to pay salaries if the polythene stock is not sold.

Javed Gul Safi, another plastic bag trader, told APP that about 70 plastic shops were affiliated with the business in the city and they had been running the business since partition, adding that restricting the business was unjustified.

"Such an unpopular and unaccepted decision was not being expected from the PTI government, which was given a mandate to solve the problems of the masses rather than adding woes to their miseries,'' he remarked.

He said 50 KG plastic bags were being sold at about Rs10,000 in market and if their stocks were not sold then hundreds of thousands of labourers would become jobless, adding that they had already paid advance money to manufacturers in Lahore and other cities of the country and several shopkeepers have taken loan to expand their business to meet their finances.

Safi said about 20 polythene bag manufacturers were operating at Hayatabad Industrial Estate with hundreds of labourers and the new law would not only adversely affect their business while also make hundreds of families jobless in such challenging circumstances when inflation was so high in the country.

Latifur Rehman, spokesman of environment and forest department while defending adaptation of KP Environmental Protection (amended) bill 2022 said that large-scale production and an excessive use of plastic products in world including Pakistan have created environmental challenges for humans, wildlife and aquatic life.

He feared that plastic waste in canals, rivers and oceans would significantly decrease production of fish and other marine species if its dumping continues at such alarming scale. According to the UN Environment Program, every year approximately 500 billion plastic bags were used globally where about eight million tons of plastic ends up in canals, rivers and oceans, which is equivalent to a truck filled with garbage every minute worldwide.

Similarly, about 60 million plastic bags were being bought per hour, and only 14pc of the total used was recycled while the rest was disposed into oceans.

Latifur Rehman said under the KP Environment Protection (amendment) bill 2022, ban on all types of plastic bags was imposed. He said six months were allowed to all its industrial units, retailers, traders and shopkeepers for disposal of their plastic stocks.

He said all licenses and permits for preparations of plastic bags, sale and purchase besides transportation were canceled and strict action would be taken against violators. Under the bill, he said that six months imprisonment and upto Rs5 lakh fine could be imposed.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official said that polythene plastic bags were a major contributor to plastic pollution since these bags made their way to the market in 1960. In Pakistan where around three to five billion plastic bags were produced per year, thus contributing to nine percent plastic waste out of about 30 million tons of solid waste generated in the country.

EPA official said about 6,000 plastic factories were operating in the country, mostly located in the Punjab (60%) followed by Sindh (30%), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (7%) and Balochistan (3%), adding that 18 registered plastic manufacturing companies besides dozens other unregistered companies were operating in Peshawar.

"We have asked plastic companies to use one percent 'D2W' chemical in plastic bags as an ingredient to attract bacteria to ensure its easy biodegradation within a few years, but the plastic companies paid a deaf ear to it," he said.

"Black polythene bags are more dangerous for humans because of their repeated usage without proper recycling, thus exposing consumers to serious ailments including intestine infections, vomiting, digestive problems and premature births." Polythene bags take 100 to 1500 years to fully decompose in soil and have drastic effects on living creatures mostly in third world countries especially in the SAARC region, he added.

Muhammad Riaz, a medical specialist, said that micro plastic can't be seen with naked eye and when comes in contact with heat it gets converted into smaller particles causing air pollution and become part of food cycle of human, fish, wildlife and mammals in land and put their lives at danger.

He said most urban waste management companies were focusing on picking waste from communal bins in urban areas but overlook canals, rivers and oceans where plastic waste is disposed mostly and once it is burnt hazardous gases like Dioxins and Furances pollute the air. He said plastic and water pollution in rivers Kabul and Swat had put populations of Mahsher and Trout fish at high risk.

He said huge investment was required for installation of waste to energy units on the pattern of China to convert plastic waste into energy, adding at least Rs10 million were required for setting up of a plant with a capacity to generate five megawatt energy.

Mumtaz Malik, former Chief Conservator Wildlife KP said plastic pollution had a global and far-reaching impact on international, regional and local environment, ecosystems, wildlife, livestock and marine life and great responsibility rests on the UN to assist under developing and developing countries especially SAARC in combating plastic pollution.

He said local industry should be encouraged to produce environmentally friendly biodegradable plastics besides strengthening waste management companies in terms of finances, manpower, equipment for speedy disposal of plastic waste.

Dr Mumtaz suggested that urban councils and waste management companies should reach out to communities to sensitize them against the menace of plastic pollution.

He said users must be sensitized to understand the gravity of this looming issue for which the role of media was key and urged consumers to use cloth bags to make the planet a peaceful living abode for future generations.