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Polyethylene bags in Pakistan- It's a ban, ban, ban world
 

Looking towards the skies for 25 years now we often find people locked in nit-picking arguments over identified flying objects mocking the decades old question is it a bird, an airplane or something else, but instead of getting the traditional answer of superman it is now a plastics bag.

The article made up from the wonder material of the 20th century known to all of us as polyethylene - we are compelled to ask ourselves is this miraculous material a blessing or a curse? The plastic bags littered and strewn in every nook and corner of cities, on roads, telephone and electric wires hanging overhead and on trees deface the appearance of the cities and give the most unpleasant look. In the past few years a never-ending campaign to ban the plastic bags has reached its climax globally. Now the government across the world are incorporating stringent regulations that include levy of heavy taxes and fines to ban polyethylene bags altogether. Various countries and states have started taking measures to reduce the use of polyethylene bags. They include Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Ireland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, South Africa, Singapore, Bangladesh and India.

In Pakistan, district Nazim of Hyderabad imposed a ban on trading and using of polyethylene bags from January 1, 2006 in the entire Hyderabad district and asked the traders and consumers to arrange alternate source within two months. This is not the first time that a local or provincial government in Pakistan has banned the plastic bags. Every time the bans are announced a fact that is crystal clear is clearly ignored or overlooked is that it is easy to announce bans but very difficult to implement them. These campaigns to ban the bags fizzled out for one reason or the other.
In the past, campaigns to drive the plastic bags out of business has not only failed but has gone down the drain without any trace. But this time the government seems to be talking seriously as a day after the announcement to ban plastic bags, Sindh Governor Dr. Ishrat ul Ibad decided to promulgate an ordinance regulating the manufacture, sale and use of plastic bags for reasons similar to those echoed around the world that the article is a source of nuisance, sewage system blockade and various other problems.
The ordinance is to standardize the recommended size and thickness of the bags. It would be recommended that the bags should not be below 30 microns and shorter than 10x14 inches. The manufacturers, wholesalers or retailers resorting to defy the ban would be booked and could face upto 3 months imprisonment and or a fine of Rs 50,000. The food grade PE bags, which have no undesirable effects, have been recommended as a substitute of polyethylene bags.

The story to ban use of polyethylene bags in the province of Sindh started in the year 1992 following a finding that the black colored plastics bags being widely used in Pakistan for packing food material contained Carcinoger or cancer causing agent. Elsewhere in the world black bags are used for garbage or body bags. A country wide media campaign was launched and the bags were banned.
In the year 2000 another study was conducted by a non-governmental organization. SWT working for the beautification of the city had greatly propagated the cause of banning the use of plastic bags and had even motivated the legislators to pass a bill in the assembly in this regard. A high-level meeting chaired by the than Governor of Sindh Air-Marshal (retd) Azim Daudpota decided to impose a ban on the usage of all kinds of polyethylene bags throughout the province. In the first phase the ban was enforced in Karachi and Hyderabad.
The move by the provincial government irked the business community which without wasting any time formed a high powered team of businessmen and met the Commissioner of Karachi to discuss the matter at lengths who said that although the government in principle has decided to ban plastic bags but no time frame has been devised for the implementation of the decision. He further said that despite ban the government was in no way interested in closing down the polyethylene bag units or in creating unemployment. It was interested in settling the issue of polyethylene bags waste, which created environmental hazards.

Although no exact figure are available on this industry in Pakistan, according to rough estimates, the investments in machinery, equipment, infrastructure facilities and manpower development associated with PE bags producing industry is around Rs.13 billion. The amount invested in imported raw materials, custom duty and taxes paid on them, warehousing, transport and other allied products is around Rs. 12 billion.
Another element that is of great interest is the quantity of all grades of PE material being imported into Pakistan. Since the year 2000 the import of this material is continuously showing an upward trend. In the financial year 1999-2000 a total of 126,674 metric tons was imported and within two years it inflated to 156,419 metric tons and according to the latest statistics the import has reached a staggering level of 219,659 metric tons worth 8,881 million rupees.

Interestingly the campaign to ban the plastic bags in only limited to Sindh, and that too in the two major cities of the province. The local traders and manufacturers had time and again met the succeeding government functionaries trying to convince them that a uniform policy throughout the country should be enforced or else the move would only open doors of corruption as it happened in the case of betel nuts. This nuisance was banned sometimes back and a massive media campaign was launched giving the ill effects of this teeth-breaking stuff. Yet not a single kiosk in the town selling the stuff was shut down or complained, but instead did a roaring business hereafter.

To ban or not to ban
Elsewhere around the world campaigns to ban use of plastics has received mixed reactions. In some countries the problem is not the garbage it produces but rather it is a pollution matter. According to environmentalists banning plastic bags in UAE would lessen pollution. Environmentalists are in favor of a law to control the production of harmful plastics, and plastic bags should be replaced by biogradeable bags in UAE, where 2,000 tonnes of plastics are produced monthly.
Plastic bags were recently banned in the Western Indian state of Maharashtra as they choke the drainage and sewage systems. Reports say anyone using plastic bags will be fined Rs.1,000. The ban is however not being rigorously implemented, and plastic bags are back on the streets.
Japan also aims to ban plastic bags handed out freely at supermarkets and drew up a draft in June 2005. According to an estimate by a retailer's association, about 30.5 billion plastic shopping bags are used every year in Japan. The Japanese Environment Ministry announced last May its decision to forbid retailers from handing out free bags. Data from a 2003 survey, conducted by the Kyoto municipal government concluded that plastic bags account for 15% of residential plastics garbage.

Having said so, despite all the hue and cry and various measures to get plastic bags out of business, one thing is sure without the plastic bags it would have been extremely difficult to blitz relief aid to the devastating October 8, earth quake areas in Pakistan where up to 70% of aid was packed and sent in plastic bags.

Author : Mr Fayyaz A. Chaudhry, Pakistan

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