Speaker Punjab Assembly backs complete ban on plastic use in Pakistan

LAHORE: Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has said the world is moving away from plastic usage, and Pakistan must also take urgent and concrete steps to tackle the growing threat of plastic pollution. 

Speaking at an event, he said that many countries have already discovered effective ways to dispose of plastic waste, while in Pakistan, it continues to damage the environment unchecked. “Plastic has contaminated water, air, food, and almost everything around us, making it toxic and dangerous,” he said. 

The Speaker said he fully supports a complete ban on plastic use in the country and stressed the importance of citizen participation. “There is a need to create a sense of responsibility among people. They must understand their role in protecting the environment,” he added. 

He also underlined the importance of environmental education in schools, saying children must be taught about the impact of pollution and climate change through their curriculum to build a more environmentally conscious generation. 

Pakistan produces nearly two million tonnes of plastic waste each year, with 86 per cent of it improperly managed, posing serious threats to human health and the environment, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan). 

The conservation group said more than 1.7 million tonnes of plastic end up in landfills, open dumps, waterways and even food systems annually, placing Pakistan among the world’s top 10 plastic-polluting countries. 

WWF has warned that plastic pollution has become one of the country’s most pressing environmental issues, driving ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss and water contamination. 

It added that Pakistan ranks among the highest in South Asia for mismanagement of plastic waste, further straining urban waste systems and increasing public health risks. 

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