Plastic bags continue to pollute the city

Every incoming government follows the legacy of its predecessors by expediently targeting a wide array of socio-political issues during the first few months of its tenure in an attempt to promptly secure the public’s support however, the stopgap nature of the proposed strategies subdues any chances of a long-term solution.

One such issue concerns the production and use of polythene shopping bags, which have once again been banned by the Punjab government as it endeavours to control environmental pollution caused by the accumulation of plastic in garbage.

Nevertheless, the failure of the government to devise an effective action plan against the multi-billion-rupee plastic industry by taking into account the concerns of all the relevant stakeholders, has allowed the sales of plastic bags to reach thousands of tonnes in the province despite the imposition of two bans in the past.

Riaz Munir, a local trader associated with the shopping bag industry, reiterated the fact that the plastic bag business involved investments worth billions of rupees therefore, the government must compensate the stakeholders so that they may take up some other business.

“Until or unless the government addresses our concerns, we cannot allow this industry to shut down, and will surely challenge the ban in court,” retorted Munir.

“Plastic shopping bags instigate land pollution since they do not decompose in the soil for years. However, before shutting down the industry, the government should at least give us alternative employment and offer financial assistance to the units that have already been set up. There are almost 3,000 small and big units in the provincial capital alone, where shopping bags are made in tonnes and sold in the market,” said Javed Jilani, in-charge of a large unit associated with the shopping bag industry.

According to a report obtained by The Express Tribune from the Punjab government, more than 10,000 small and big shopping bag manufacturing units are set up across cities like Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Sargodha and Dera Ghazi Khan, while thousands of other shopping bag factories operate in other cities of the province, which are not under the radar of the government.

It is believed that almost 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes of shopping bags are manufactured in the plastic industry on a daily basis, out of which 5,000 to 7,000 tonnes are sold across Lahore alone. Furthermore, 55,000 tonnes of garbage are generated on a daily basis in Lahore, out of which 15 percent is comprised of shopping bags, holding a combined volume of 10,000 tonnes.

Expanding on the problem, medical experts like Dr Naveed Akbar Hotiana warned against the use of plastic bags in light of their purported carcinogenic properties. “Plastic exposure has been proven to cause diseases like skin and lung cancer. The government must become proactive in dealing with the sales of shopping bags and other plastic items,” said Dr Hotiana.

On the other hand, Director General Environment Punjab Imran Hamid alerted locals that from July onwards, those caught involved in the sale of plastic shopping bags will be imprisoned for up to six months and a fine of Rs100,000 will also be imposed.

Speaking to The Express Tribune on the matter, Senior Provincial Minister and Minister for Environment Marriyum Aurangzeb said, “The 'No to Plastic' campaign has begun and a complete ban has been imposed on the use of plastic bags. Our upcoming environment-friendly policies include, providing farmers with green machinery, banning the use of plastic bags, organizing environmental campaigns in schools, colleges and universities, launching a tree plantation drive and introducing electric buses. We will also take steps to make the atmosphere smoke-free.”