RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) Punjab announced a total ban on the use of polythene and shopping bags as of June 5, reiterating its commitment to remove plastic bags from the district.
This bold action seeks to eliminate plastic bags and lessen the harm that plastic poses to aquatic environments, wildlife, and people.
During an Earth Day awareness program with schoolchildren, this was discussed. The initiative seeks to promote environmental protection measures in partnership with the National Cleaner Production Center, Attock Oil Refinery, and Murree Brewery.
Deputy Director Maria Safeer of the Environment Protection Agency, together with Assistant Directors Anza Niazi, Namra Tariq, Romaisa Babar, and Inspector Inamul Haq, attended the occasion.
This year’s Earth Day campaign, with the theme “Plastic vs. Earth,” aims to address the urgent problem of plastic pollution. The EPA Rawalpindi team has urged the usage of environmentally friendly substitutes by distributing cloth bags to kids and stores all throughout the city. To increase public awareness, prominent places throughout the city were festooned with banners opposing the use of plastic.
According to the Punjab Single-Use Plastic Products Regulation 2023, Schedules 1 and 2 list a number of plastic items, including disposables and multi-layer packaging plastic products, that are prohibited from being sold. The ban also extends to the sale of plastic bags smaller than 75 microns. Violators face harsh punishments and jail time.
To further assure accountability and regulation, all plastic manufacturers, collectors, and recyclers in the province are required to register with the Punjab Environment Protection and Climate Change Department.
The quality of the land, water, and air is seriously threatened by plastic pollution, which exacerbates environmental deterioration. The detrimental impacts on human health, such as cancer and ingesting microplastics found in food, highlight how urgent it is to address this problem.
The deputy director emphasized that it is each person’s responsibility to use cloth bags instead of plastic ones and to consume food in steel or other environmentally friendly options.
