In a bold move to combat environmental pollution and safeguard public health, the Punjab government has announced a comprehensive ban on the production, distribution, and trade of plastic across the province, starting June 5.
This initiative is spearheaded by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb under the “No to Plastic” campaign.
Senior Minister Aurangzeb, in a statement on Sunday, cited plastic as a major contributor to environmental degradation and a source of serious health issues, including cancer and other fatal diseases.
She emphasized that the excessive use of plastic has escalated pollution levels, prompting the Punjab government to take decisive action to ban plastic production.
“The use of plastic is significantly boosting environmental pollution, posing severe health risks to the public,” Aurangzeb stated.
“Starting June 5, we will launch a crackdown on factories manufacturing illegal plastic products.”
Also read: How Microplastic is threatening our Health and the Environment
The campaign will also impose strict restrictions on the use of plastic bags in the food industry.
Hotels and eateries will no longer be allowed to serve food in plastic bags, as part of the government’s effort to reduce plastic waste and promote healthier alternatives.
The announcement follows a series of environmental initiatives endorsed by the Punjab government ahead of Earth Day 2024.
There are almost 8000 plastic bags manufacturing factories in #Punjab – how hard it will be to implement plastic bags ban in Punjab? pic.twitter.com/EbGbqhBdVp
— Shiraz Hassan (@ShirazHassan) October 3, 2019
On April 19, the government decided to implement several eco-friendly measures, culminating in the endorsement of a complete ban on plastic bag usage by the Chief Minister.
During an April review meeting on these initiatives, Aurangzeb highlighted the campaign’s objective to raise public awareness about the severe health risks associated with plastic pollution.
She highlighted the urgency of banning polythene bags, pointing to their detrimental impact on the environment and their role in causing respiratory and other life-threatening conditions.
“The campaign aims to educate the public about the dire consequences of plastic pollution on our health and environment,” Aurangzeb added.
