PAK-EPA, CDA To Launch Behavioural Change Campaign Against Littering, Plastic Bags

Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (PAK-EPA) and Capital Development Authority (CDA) has principally agreed to launch a behavioural change campaign to educate masses refrain littering and plastic bags use

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Jun, 2019 ) :Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (PAK-EPA) and Capital Development Authority (CDA) has principally agreed to launch a behavioural change campaign to educate masses refrain littering and plastic bags use.

Talking to APP, PAK-EPA Director General Farzana Altaf Shah here on Monday said, "A meeting has been made with the CDA Chairman to devise a proper outline and agenda for public awareness campaign where he has agreed to extend complete support for this initiative of PAK-EPA. It has been decided to simultaneously kick start the anti-littering campaign with the drive to end Plastic bags use in the Federal capital." Shah said, "The campaign will be inaugurated from Prime Minister Secretariat to involve the apex house for taking lead role in this ambitious environment preservation campaign. We want to start from public offices other than general masses so that a strong social liaison should be developed to reap maximum fruits of the Plastic Free and Antilittering campaigns." To a question, she said the campaign would be taken up by the interns who have joined PAK-EPA for the summer internship programme. "There are 30 interns who have joined the Agency for the internship programme and are very energetic youth with strong ambition to purge the society from the menace of plastic bags and help people shun their tendency to through garbage openly without any hesitation," she added.

DG PAK-EPA said that there was no exact data of employees working in plastic bag manufacturing factories whereas in the federal capital currently three plastic bag production units were functional.

The plastic bags used for the packaging of chips and slanty snacks were non-degradable and a major challenge for us to deal with and we wanted to regulate it, adding "Out of the total three plastic bag units one is of Utility Stores Corporation and has started producing biodegradable bags whereas the rest of the two units have also been requested to comply with the law to end hazardous plastic bags production," she said.

She assured that none of the polymers association or any other stakeholder would get affected through the imposition of ban on plastic bags.

"The ban will be imposed phase wise and on this 14th August Independence from Plastic Bags will be celebrated in the federal capital. The final date for the commencement of the campaign will be announced soon," Farzana Altaf Shah said.

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