ISLAMABAD     -    Executive Director of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Inger Andersen has said that Pakistan is the second largest domestic market for plastic with only 3 percent   recycling of plastic   in the country.

While delivering a distinguished guest lecture on ‘Environmental governance in addressing plastic pollution and the role of CSOs’ here at Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) Inger Andersen  said that each year 400 million tons of plastic products are generated out of which 300 million tons end up in global waste basket recklessly, creating a big hazard for the environment.

Andersen said that the use of plastic has done to us an ease in our day-to-day activities. “UNEP is not anti-plastic but anti-plastic in environment,” she said, adding that  once plastic is part of economy, it should be kept in cycle rather than being used once and then disposed of  where it ends up in landfills, marine and water bodies as well as in low-lying urban vicinities. She maintained that Pakistan is the second largest domestic market for plastic with very limited recycling potential of 18percent and only 3percent plastic is recycled in Pakistan.

Highlighting the extensive infiltration of plastic in our lives and the entire value-chain, the UNEP official suggested that “we must be the part of solution and must have a shared responsibility particularly not only in using plastic packaging for goods but also at different stages during transit.” She said that it is the responsibility of brands and consumers to reduce, reuse, recycle and refuse by rethinking packaging and how it is delivered to consumers. She called upon the civil society to play its role in advocating the issue, generating scientific data, and creating awareness to reduce plastic waste in the environment. As we make strides in this regard, we must think of garbage collectors, especially the young children that they must not be left behind and should be provided alternative, safe, decent livelihoods and sustainable incomes, she elaborated.

Stressing the need for stringent legislation to govern the plastic content to reduce waste and improve recycling and extended producer guarantees, she said that even if plastic is mechanically or chemically recycled, we must consider that it does not come without cost and chemical recycling, particularly with a huge carbon footprint.

Responding to a question, she said that stringent regulations, awareness on content and chemistry of plastic and incentivisation are critical to reduce plastic waste. “As many as 36 countries in Africa have banned single use plastics and public awareness is very high deterring the use of plastics there.” To another query of the financing gap, she said that strict public enforcement will catalyze action from private sector to increase recycling and discourage the use of virgin plastics.