Plastic pollution must be treated as national emergency: Sherry

ISLAMABAD: The chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Senator Sherry Rehman, has emphasised the need to urgently address the rapidly worsening problem of plastic pollution and untreated waste.

“This is no longer just an environmental issue. Plastic and untreated waste are choking our cities and rivers, threatening our water sources, damaging agricultural productivity, and triggering public health emergencies. Pakistan must treat this as a national emergency,” she said in a statement on the International Day of Zero Waste.

Quoting alarming statistics, she noted “Globally only 9 per cent of plastic waste is recycled, but in Pakistan that number drops to a staggering 1 per cent. The rest accumulates in landfills, drains, and water bodies — with the Indus River now ranked as the second most plastic-polluted river in the world.”

Senator Sherry Rehman said Pakistan generates 49.6 million tons of solid waste annually, increasing at 2.4 per cent every year, while only 60–70 per cent of solid waste is collected and just 1 per cent of wastewater is treated.

She said in Rawal Dam alone, 9 million gallons of untreated sewage is dumped every single day, contaminating critical water supplies. “We’re not just talking about distant ecosystems — this is about the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the cities we live in. The Indus, once our lifeline, is now a toxic pipeline of plastic pollution,” she said.

Senator Sherry Rehman emphasised that the waste crisis is not just environmental but a full-blown public health disaster. She said the World Health Organisation estimates over 5 million deaths annually in Pakistan from waste-related diseases.

In urban centres, she said inadequate sanitation and blocked drains contribute to repeated flooding, waterborne illnesses, and the resurgence of preventable diseases such as cholera, dengue, and even polio. “Our sanitation systems are collapsing. This is not a problem for tomorrow. It’s a crisis today,” she stressed.

Senator Sherry Rehman underscored Pakistan’s addiction to plastic is especially worrying as the country consumes 55 billion plastic bags annually, with usage expected to increase by 15 per cent each year.

She stressed the need to shift the national narrative from isolated bans to systemic solutions.

Senator Sherry Rehman pointed to global examples such as Canada’s ‘ask-first’ policies and eco-taxes that have proven effective in reducing plastic waste through behavioural change rather than blanket restrictions.