KARACHI, May 05 (Alliance News): The Sindh government has announced a comprehensive ban on the manufacturing, stockpiling, sale, and use of all plastic carrier and shopping bags across the province, effective June 15, in a major step to combat plastic pollution.
The Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development Department (ECC&CDD) issued a notification stating that the ban applies to all types of plastic bags, including non-degradable, oxo-degradable, black-coloured, and recycled variants, regardless of their weight or size.
The ban, enforced under the Sindh Prohibition of Non-Degradable Plastic Products Rules 2014 and Section 14(3) of the Sindh Environmental Protection Act 2014, was formally approved by the provincial cabinet on April 15.
The ECC&CDD followed up with the official notification on April 30, directing all relevant departments to ensure strict implementation.
The move aligns with growing national concern over plastic pollution, which has reached alarming levels.
On the International Day of Zero Waste (March 30), Senator Sherry Rehman, Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change, underscored the urgency of the crisis, warning that plastic waste is “choking cities, rivers, and contaminating food and water sources.”
According to data she shared, Pakistan produces nearly 50 million tons of solid waste annually, but recycles only 1% of its plastic waste—far below the global average of 9%.
The remainder clogs drainage systems and ends up in rivers and landfills, with the Indus River now ranked as the world’s second most plastic-polluted river.
Senator Rehman criticized symbolic measures and called for comprehensive reform. “This is not a problem for tomorrow. It’s a crisis today,” she stressed, citing increasing waste-related diseases and sanitation breakdowns in cities.
Pakistan’s plastic consumption is also on the rise, with over 55 billion plastic bags used annually, growing at 15% each year.
Meanwhile, in a parallel effort, the Punjab government initiated a ban on plastic bags thinner than 75 microns in January. Punjab EPA Director General Imran Hamid Sheikh also launched public awareness campaigns to promote plastic recycling and behaviour change through public-private partnerships
