Sindh to impose ban on plastic bags from June 15

A man washes waste plastic sheets, collected for recycling, in the polluted waters on World Environment Day in Karachi, June 5, 2023. — Reuters

KARACHI: The Sindh government has imposed a complete ban on the manufacturing, stockpiling, sale, and usage of all types of plastic carrier and shopping bags across the province, effective June 15. 

In a notification, the Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development Department (ECC&CDD) said that the sweeping prohibition applies to non-degradable, oxo-degradable, black-coloured, and recycled plastic bags, regardless of weight or size. 

The decision was made under the Sindh Prohibition of Non-Degradable Plastic Products Rules 2014 and Section 14(3) of the Sindh Environmental Protection Act 2014. 

The Sindh cabinet formally approved the amendment on April 15, and the ECC&CDD issued the official notification on April 30, directing all relevant government departments to begin enforcement.

The move comes as Pakistan grapples with a national plastic pollution crisis, with policymakers increasingly treating the issue as a public health emergency.

On International Day of Zero Waste, marked on March 30 every year, Senator Sherry Rehman, Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change, warned that plastic waste is choking cities, rivers, and water bodies, and contaminating food and water sources. 

She noted that Pakistan generates 49.6 million tons of solid waste annually, yet only 1% of plastic waste is recycled, compared to 9% globally. The rest ends up in landfills, drains, and rivers, with the Indus River now ranked as the second most plastic-polluted river in the world.

Calling for systemic reform rather than symbolic bans, Senator Rehman said, “This is not a problem for tomorrow. It’s a crisis today,” highlighting the spread of waste-related diseases and the collapse of sanitation systems in urban areas. 

She also pointed out that Pakistan consumes 55 billion plastic bags annually, with usage projected to rise by 15% each year.

Meanwhile, in Punjab, the provincial government has also begun to act. 

In January, Punjab EPA Director General Imran Hamid Sheikh announced a ban on plastic bags thinner than 75 microns and outlined efforts to promote plastic recycling and behavioural change through awareness campaigns and public-private collaboration.