Pakistan consumes 55 bln plastic bags annually

ISLAMABAD: Chairperson, Senate Standing on Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman on World Plastic Bag Free Day said that the country was consuming 55 billion plastic bags annually at an expected increase by 15 percent in its usage every year.

The Chairperson Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change Senator in her message on the International Plastic Bag Free Day urged the nation to review the environmental impact of plastic bags and its indiscriminate use in Pakistan.

Senator Rehman said Pakistan is facing a serious problem of pollution as single-use bags caused water stagnation, littering and damage to human, aquatic and wildlife.

“Plastic bags take hundreds of years to decompose and their accumulation poses serious risks to the environment and health. All our small and big cities face major challenges in waste management,” she said.

She underscored that several attempts were made to stop the use of plastic bags, however, due to lack of alternatives, slow implementation and lack of public awareness, no success was achieved in stopping the use of plastic items.

“Every citizen needs to reduce reliance on plastic items including bags, support eco-friendly alternatives and strictly follow the policies,” Senator Sherry Rehman requested.