Breaking up with plastic

Punjab's governance is either drastically overconfident or highly efficient, judging from its claim to declare Rawalpindi completely 'single-use plastic free' by June 2026. Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz has been attempting to implement a permanent ban on polythene bags that contribute to plastic pollution since 2024. After thousands of inspections, confiscations, notices, fines and FIRs throughout the span of almost two years, complete plastic elimination perhaps seems like an achievable goal for her government in at least one district.

Like clockwork, a province-wide reminder of the single-use plastic ban makes its annual rounds ahead of World Environment Day - June 5. Similarly, this year, the Punjab Environment Protection Agency (Punjab-EPA) has vowed to follow through with anti-plastic laws and regulations under the direction of the Punjab CM, notably emphasising on eco-friendly alternatives.

Although this has been a script oft heard yet sparsely executed in Punjab, this time, the self-assured promise arrives after surprisingly consistent efforts by the EPA. In 2025 alone, the agency confiscated over 400,000kg of plastic bags; and in the first four months of 2026, more than double that amount. Judging by numbers alone, EPA's claim might not be merely overconfidence - which would be a welcome change.

But in order to ensure that this ban does not die out as soon as the sword of penalties stops hanging above the heads of distributors, it is equally important to introduce eco-friendly alternatives at the same pace at which single-use plastic is being withdrawn. For a society so heavily dependent on 'shoppers' in their daily routines, effectively changing the choices people make every day must come, yes, compulsorily - but it must also come easy. When polythene bags are refused, and eco-friendly alternatives such as jute or paper bags are provided as a substitute, people are more likely to comply rather than simply being frustrated.