Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Federal Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination has decided to ban single-use plastics within the federal capital, in an attempt to curb environmental pollution, from 1st August.
According to recent reports, the ministry has urged authorities to impose heavy fines on the use, sale, and supply of single-use plastic products. This crucial ban is set to be enforced in Islamabad starting from 1 August, and any violations will be met with immediate penalties.
The department responsible for overseeing this initiative has prohibited the use, manufacturing, import, distribution, delivery, sale, storage, and purchase of single-use plastic items. This includes plastic bags, crockery, cutlery items like spoons, forks, and knives, as well as food service boxes, cups, plates, and bowls.
Going forward, these items will no longer be permitted in hotels, stalls, parks, or entertainment venues, and their usage will be closely monitored and regulated. Severe consequences await anyone found in possession of or using such items.
To ensure compliance, the producers and importers of single-use plastic will be subject to a substantial fine of Rs. 1 million. Similarly, shopkeepers, stallholders, hawkers, and suppliers selling these prohibited items will face a fine of Rs. 10,000. Citizens caught using single-use plastic items in parks and on roads will have to pay an on-the-spot fine of Rs. 1,000.
The Ministry of Climate Change has directed the Environmental Protection Agency to launch an awareness campaign regarding the ban. This campaign is scheduled to commence on 1 August. It’s worth noting that the ban had already been implemented in Punjab from 1 July.
