Sabzi Mandi, Aabpara Fruit Vendors Using Plastic Bags Despite Ban

The vendors of federal capital's Sabzi Mandi (fruits and vegetables market I-11) and fruit sellers in Aabpara market were using plastic bags despite ban imposed by the federal government to end the use of plastic bags

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Sep, 2019 ) :The vendors of Federal capital's Sabzi Mandi (fruits and vegetables market I-11) and fruit sellers in Aabpara market were using plastic bags despite ban imposed by the federal government to end the use of plastic bags.

The plastic bags ban was imposed by the federal government on August 14 where single-use polythene carrier bags (plastic bags with handle and gussets) were banned to phase out the overwhelming number of plastic bags in the environment. According to recent studies of United Nations and World Resource Institute around 127 countries in the world were regulating plastic bags under different legislations.

Talking to APP, vendors in the Sabzi Mandi said all the vegetables and fruits were brought from other provinces where there was no ban on plastic bags and also if the government had banned its use then they should first gave us the alternate to adopt other than polythene.

Another fruit vendor said, "I cannot afford cotton bags as it ranges from Rs 25 to Rs 250 and over. However, polythene bags are cheaper but the government calls it hazardous for use. There should be cheaper solutions to the ban imposed in the federal capital." Akmal, a fruit vendor in Aabpara said there was no ban in Rawalpindi and every retailer, shopkeeper and vegetables vendor were buying plastic bags from the garrison city. He added that no one was complying the ban as apparently the public welcomed it whereas later the shopkeepers and traders resisted the ban on plastic bags. "People buy fruits from my stall and they demand plastic bags themselves then how could I refrain from selling my fruits in plastic bags," he added.

Earlier, the representatives of market committee of the Sabzi Mandi had a detailed meeting with the Secretary Ministry of Climate Change Hassan Nasir Jamy where they demanded a week's time to fully ban plastic bags in the Sabzi Mandi. The ministry, however, made it clear that this should not be treated as any extension in the ban imposed in the federal capital.

Senior official of the ministry told APP that the ban was not imposed overnight rather eight months long stakeholder consultations and deliberations were held with the traders, plastic recycle association, experts, environmentalists and media.

He said the ban had been imposed with almost 98 percent compliance where most of the shopkeepers had shunned the use of polythene bags.

The official noted that the market committee chairman and members were taken on board and were working out their plans to control plastic bags in the Sabzi Mandi. He said the monitoring team of the ministry was focusing major shopkeepers and consumers of plastic bags whereas we were giving warnings and awareness to vendors selling goods on handcarts in the federal capital.

Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam while inaugurating the biodegradable bags selling free kiosks at a shopping mall said that nylon bags were produced for the packaging of fruits and vegetables in the fruits and vegetables market which was a possible alternate for plastic bags used in Sabzi Mandi. It would be introduced in the market for the vendors to use it for selling fruits and vegetables, he added.