Tax on plastic

The Ministry for Climate Change has recently proposed a tax of Rs1-2 per plastic bag to discourage the use of plastic that has been polluting the environment. Over 40 countries have put a complete ban on the use of plastic bags which has eventually led to clearer waterways and resulted in a food chain that is less contaminated with plastic. However, a ban or a tax will not help curtail the use of plastic altogether, at least not immediately.

Also, it is a known fact that polystyrene used in manufacturing disposable plastic-foam cups and insulation material is the most difficult to recycle. Quite a number of offices and other institutions use such cups for their daily use instead of washable ceramic ones, this habit too needs to change and overall a circular economy should be built where almost everything is recycled. Plastic is being recycled and used in construction around the world, India for instance has more than 100,000 kilometres of roads made out of plastic waste. This has not just cut down on pollution, but also created jobs. Now is the time to learn from the rest of the world and take small steps towards controlling plastic pollution.

Reza Samad

Karachi