Plastics are bad news, particularly if they aren’t biodegradable and that is precisely their attraction. Formed from hydrocarbon polymers that may be thousands of molecules long they can be shaped in almost an infinity of ways. However, two are most familiar: the clear plastic bottle which contains anything from shampoo to soft drinks, and plastic shopping bags. They are terribly difficult to dispose of, for they do not rot. They are also wonderfully cheap, being produced by extruding the plastic chips produced as a byproduct of petroleum refining. However, once they have been used, they are a pain in the neck. According to a report in this newspaper’s Profit magazine, of the 65,000 tonnes of waste generated a day in Lahore, 20 percent, or 13,000 tonnes, are plastic bags. This is even though plastic bags have been banned by the Punjab government, which has also set up a recycling scheme for bottles and caps.
One reason for the thriving of plastic bags despite the ban is that, according to the Pakistan Plastic Manufacturers’ Association, Rs 150 billion invested in plants and equipment, not to mention about 300,000 families depending on the industry. More relevant for a cash-strapped government groaning under IM conditionalities, it provides Rs 130 billion in revenue, mostly customs and import duties.
Perhaps that is the reason that the Punjab government is trying to implement the ban on distribution of plastic bags on the shopkeepers, even all 65,000 of them. There has been no move against makers, even though production is equally illegal. Makers often have this as a sideline, and while there will be some unemployment, there will be massive gains in more efficient waste management. Once the manufacture is stopped, shopkeepers will have to turn to other means of packaging. While shopkeepers may return to paper bags, cloth bags can be carried by shoppers.
It is to be hoped that the Punjab government is not indulging in any effort to please foreign groups, by making the right noises and doing nothing. The plastics problem is genuine, and deserves to be taken seriously. Perhaps the government might remember that various ISO certifications, especially those which are being developed, will require businesses to avoid plastic pollution, and it should be remembered that plastics are not just today’s pollutants, but will be a problem for generations yet unborn.
