Where will the trash go?

Heaps of plastic waste are being piled up at an alarming rate, creating difficulties for countries that are scratching their heads to find a suitable place to dump the trash. After China’s ban on plastic waste import, it is estimated that by 2030, there will be 111 million tonnes of plastic trash worldwide. China implemented this ban in December 2017 in response to growing amounts of plastic waste imported for recycling from higher income countries, including Germany, the US and the UK. Since 1992, China has so far imported 45 percent of the world’s plastic waste. But, it is believed that this ban is a massive wake-up call for all those countries who counted on China to buy and recycle their plastic trash.

In Pakistan alone, around 55 billion plastic bags are being used each year with their use increasing by 15 percent per annum. Plastic waste can take even up to 1,000 years to decompose. Thus, it is more likely to pile up in the land and sea water causing severe environmental concerns. Environmental experts say that the world needs to come up with bold ideas like diminishing the quantities and usage of plastic, replacing plastic bags with eco-friendly paper bags, funding domestic waste management system in order to mitigate the effects of plastic waste problem.

Bakhtawar Bijarani

Shikarpur