World Consumer Rights Day: plastic ban and bane

Islamabad: On the eve of World Consumer Rights Day, TheNetwork for Consumer Protection has demanded of the federal and provincial government to phase out plastic from the lives of consumers in order to save the planet.

This World Consumer Rights Day falling today (March 15, 2021), consumer organizations around the world are calling for global change to tackle plastic pollution. The 2021 World Consumer Rights Day campaign’s theme is 7Rs: Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair and Replace. Consumers everywhere are taking action now on every one of the 7Rs and demanding that government and business should support them to do more.

Plastic can be a highly useful material in everyday life, but our consumption and production of plastics, especially single-use plastic that amounts to around 50% of the total plastic products produced, are now unsustainable–leading to a global plastic pollution crisis.

This is particularly important as we continue to see the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic on plastic pollution, with an increased use of single-use products including plastic face masks, gloves and food packaging. Consumers are increasingly concerned about plastic pollution and already taking action.

A global study in 2019 found that there is a strong consumer response to plastic waste (with 82% of respondents using reusable cleaning utensils instead of single-use plastic alternatives, 72% bringing reusable bags when shopping and 62% using refillable drinking bottles)–and despite the increased use of single-use plastic during the pandemic, 55% of consumers globally have now become more concerned about the environment as a result of COVID-19 and nearly 74% of consumers (in Europe, the US and South America) are willing to spend more on sustainable packaging.

As per Consumers International Organization data, around 40% of the plastic is produced for packaging and is discarded after single use. Likewise, in the last 15 years the production of plastic skyrocketed than any other time. Around 8 million tons of plastic waste enters the oceans across the globe.

In Pakistan, the incumbent government has taken many initiatives regarding replacement of plastic materials under PM Imran Khan’s Clean Green Pakistan Campaign 2019. Polythene bags were prohibited in ICT for use in the markets in 2019 under the regulation called as ‘Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency Ban on (Manufacturing, Import, Sale, Purchase, Storage, and Usage)’ was passed.

The provinces also have laws regarding use of plastic products but they lack effective implementation. In the first week of March, the Minister on Climate Change warned those who were flouting the ban in the capital city and ensured check and balance raids.

Meanwhile, TheNetwork will hold an online webinar today (Monday) with Additional Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Rana Waqas Anwar and Additional Deputy Commissioner Islamabad (East) Babar Sahib Din as key speakers.

Waqas will talk about the current status of the shift from plastic bags to cloth bags and bags of other materials. He will inform the audience about the role of the district administration regarding the issue of polythene bags and curbing the resultant plastic pollution in general.

Babar Sahib Din will also talk about the issue of plastic pollution and its implications for the world with special reference to Pakistan.

He will also share best practices of the ICT administration, and the current status of the legislation being implemented and the on-ground situation of the use of plastic bags and other single-use and non-biodegradable plastic materials and products in Islamabad.