RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) Punjab reiterated its commitment to eliminate plastic bags from the district, announcing a complete ban on the use of all types of shopping bags and polythene bags from June 5.

The elimination of plastic bags and the reduction of the dangers that plastic poses to human life, wildlife, and aquatic ecosystems are the goals of this decisive measure.

Over the course of an awareness session with schoolchildren that was held on the occasion of Earth Day, this information was shared. The objective of the initiative is to encourage the implementation of environmental protection measures, and it is being carried out in conjunction with the Murree Brewery, the Attock Oil Refinery, and the National Cleaner Production Centre.

The function was attended by Deputy Director Environment Protection Agency Maria Safeer, along with assistant directors Anza Niazi, Namra Tariq, Romaisa Babar and Inspector Inamul Haq.

The Earth Day campaign that is being run this year is titled “Plastic vs. Earth,” and its goal is to address the critical problem of plastic pollution. To encourage the use of environmentally friendly alternatives, the Environmental Protection Agency Rawalpindi team has distributed cloth bags to children and shops located throughout the city. In an effort to raise awareness among the populace, prominent locations throughout the city were adorned with banners that advocated against the use of plastic.

A comprehensive ban has been imposed not only on the sale of plastic bags with a thickness of less than 75 microns, but also on a variety of other plastic items, such as disposables and multi-layer packaging plastic products that are listed in Schedules 1 and 2 of the Punjab Single-Use Plastic Products Regulation 2023. This ban is carried out in accordance with the regulations that have been established by the government of Punjab. Violent offenders are subject to severe punishments, including imprisonment.

Moreover, all plastic manufacturers, collectors and recyclers throughout the province are mandated to register with the Punjab Environment Protection and Climate Change Department to ensure accountability and regulation.

The pollution caused by plastic poses a significant risk to the quality of the air, water, and land, which in turn exacerbates the degradation of the environment. Its adverse effects on human health, including cancer and the ingestion of microplastics present in food, underscore the urgency of addressing this issue.

It was emphasised by the deputy director that it is the individual’s responsibility to choose cloth bags rather than plastic ones and to select steel or other environmentally friendly alternatives for the consumption of food.