Disposing of religious texts: Islamabad to have first recycling plant

The plant would recycle one ton of paper per day

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs has decided to establish a recycling plant in the capital to dispose of old pages of the Quran.

The decision was taken on Tuesday at a meeting chaired by Minister for Religious Affairs, Muhammad Yousaf, said a ministry official.



The meeting was attended by ministry officials and Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) representatives.

The official told The Express Tribune that the decision was taken after the ministry received numerous complaints about disrespect to pages of the Quran and asked for suggestions on practical step to dispose of worn out or damaged pages.

A plant will be established on the capital’s outskirts to recycle old pages of the Quran, the official said, who added that this will be the country’s first such recycling plant.

The official said that the ministry had identified a site for the plant near Haji camp.



Besides, the ministry could also request that the Capital Development Authority identify another location and allocate land there.

He said a PC-I for the project is being prepared with the help of PCSIR and that it would be finalised soon.

The official said that after the establishment of the plant, boxes would be set up in different parts of the city for people to drop off text and paper. The plant will have a daily capacity of one ton of paper.

Another senior ministry official suggested that such recycling plants should be established in other provinces as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2016.