Islamabad: The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) gave away free biodegradable plastic bags in various schools and offices, a news source reported. EPA had received these bags from big companies as a gift.
EPA Director Amin Baig said that it was high time for replacing the non-degradable plastic bags. He added that these types of plastic bags were destroying the environment, as they choked the gutters and drains.
While addressing the students, Baig requested them to create awareness on this matter among their parents. He added that they should convince them to stop using plastic bags to help save the environment.
Regarding the matter of fake degradable bags, a senior official of the Ministry of Climate Change said that they would present the issue to Rawalpindi’s district administration. He added that their inspection had ensured more than 95% of compliance with the ban on plastic bags.
Meanwhile, an EPA report indicated the use of 55 billion plastic bags per year in Pakistan. It said that this amount increased by 15% each year. On the matter of livelihood that the plastic industry provided, experts said that weaning shoppers away from single-use plastics was a challenge. However, they added, that the country needed to overcome this hurdle to reap the long-term benefits.
