The Punjab Chief Minister has ordered a ban on the use of plastic bags across the province.
According to Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, plastic bags will be banned in the province from June 6. She announced a meeting on Wednesday, where she also approved the digitization of the kiln industrial system for a better Air Quality Index (AQI).
The senior minister said that a crackdown will be launched against those polluting the environment. During the meeting, the senior minister also instructed students to establish Environment Climate Change Councils in educational institutions to empower them as environmental ambassadors.
The Environment Protection Department in its report in 2019 had disclosed concerning statistics about the use of plastic bags in the country. According to the report, as many as 55 billion plastic bags are used per year in Pakistan while the amount of plastic use is increasing by 15 percent each year.
The report further revealed that thousands of plastic manufacturing units are present in Pakistan with an average daily production capability of 250 kg – 500 kg.
