By Asim Hussain
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Senator Sherry Rehman on Wednesday informed that a new regulation further limiting the use of single-use plastic items was going to be imposed from August 1 in the federal capital.
The minister flanked by Additional Secretary, Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Syed Mujtaba Hussain while launching the first-ever National Adaptation Plan approved by the federal capital, briefed the media on banning one-time use of plastic items.
Senator Rehman said that the Ministry had taken the decision after proper consultations with the plastic bags and items manufacturing industry to circumvent any possibility of unemployment or damage to businesses. She said, “By 2050, plastics will be more than marine life in our oceans and it has a lifetime shelf life.” The single use of plastics would be completely banned after the implementation of the revised statutory regulatory order (SRO), she added.
The Additional Secretary informed that plastic plates, bowls, cups, glasses, stirrer and cutler and also packaging items would be completely banned in the federal capital whereas all these items had their environment friendly alternatives.
Hussain said from ban on single use plastic bags it was further extended to other items were used in routine life and was causing risk to the environment as the drains, land and air were polluted by plastics.
The legislation, he said would be imposed in Islamabad and the provinces could adopt it completely or develop their own as per their needs. The restriction, he said also imposed different fines from Rs 1000, Rs 10,000 to Rs 100,000 with clear penalties defined for manufacturers, sellers and users separately.
