Use of plastic bags in capital on the rise

Traders and citizens of the federal capital, after observing a few months of strict compliance, are openly violating the ban imposed on single-use plastic bags amid complacent enforcement of the restriction by the civic agencies.

Shopkeepers and individuals are openly using polythene or plastic bags for packaging and dealing with groceries, eatables and other items as observed in different areas of Islamabad.

Noushad Khan, a vegetable seller in sector I-8 of the city, said that there was the strict implementation and enforcement of the ban in its early days, but with the passage of time, “The restriction has eased down.”

Fayyaz, an owner of a small hut in sector G-7, told APP that the customers demanded to have items handed over to them in a plastic bag. "If I don't do that, the other shopkeepers will, and I shall end up losing my customers,” he reasoned.

He further said that if the government really wanted to stop the usage of plastic bags, then it needed to stop its manufacturing.

During a visit to various markets of the federal capital, it was observed that there were traders who were not only openly disregarding the ban, but also secretly carrying plastic bags and producing them on demand of the customer.

While the major shopping centres and stores in the city are strictly adhering to the government's policy, it is mostly the small shop owners defying the ban.

The government needs to adopt an incentive-based approach to bring them on track, said Saima Shafi Bhutta, a teacher.

A market in Sector G-9 is worth mentioning here for their compliance in this regard – with even the fruit and vegetable sellers there using government-approved biodegradable bags marked with a stamp.

An official of the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) informed that since the imposition of the ban in 2019 till 2021, a total of 256 challans were issued to violators.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17, 2022.