ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national English-language newspaper Dawn reported on Friday that the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) had clarified that current regulations do not prohibit polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, following reports that bottled products were being removed from shops in the federal capital.
Dr Zaigham Abbas of Pak-EPA said the agency was Islamabad’s sole environmental regulator and there was no legal basis for removing PET bottles from sale. He added that the Islamabad Capital Territory administration had been informed of the agency’s position.
The clarification followed remarks by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, who recently announced that single-use plastic bags would be banned in Islamabad by December 31. His statement also indicated that restrictions would extend to plastic bottles, including those used for drinking water.
Dr Abbas, who heads the National Environmental Quality Standards directorate at Pak-EPA, told Dawn on Thursday that bags used to package rice, lentils, sugar, bread and other food items with a shelf life did not fall under the definition of single-use plastic bags.
“Such plastic bags are used to protect food from going bad and have shelf life. All other types of plastics that people use and throw, such as plastic cups and spoons, will be checked,” he said, according to the newspaper. He added that plastic water bottles remained exempt from the regulations until 2028.
The minister’s remarks prompted the Collect and Recycle (CoRe) Alliance to raise concerns about a possible ban on PET bottles across different product categories in Islamabad. The alliance described such a move as scientifically unjustified and environmentally counterproductive, warning that it could harm businesses and conflict with international circular-economy practices.
In a letter dated October 13 to the Special Investment Facilitation Council, CoRe sought intervention, saying the reported action was inconsistent with the 2023 regulations and could disrupt bottle collection and recycling operations.
CoRe and the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry have separately urged Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik to prioritise producer-funded collection systems, waste segregation and investment in recycling infrastructure instead of imposing a blanket ban.
They argued that PET is lightweight and recyclable, while switching to alternatives such as glass or aluminium could increase transport emissions and energy consumption.
Criticism has also been directed at the December 31 deadline for making the capital plastic-free, with opponents describing it as unrealistic. A former Pak-EPA official said the government should first reduce demand for disposable plastics by promoting the “my bag” concept in educational institutions, government offices and private workplaces.
The former official added that penalising shopkeepers, traders and producers alone would not be enough. Consumers would also need to be held accountable to bring about lasting changes in consumption patterns.
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