Lahore, the bustling former City of Nawabs is known for its rich culture, history, and heritage. But there is one more thing that is abundantly found in the city which is plastic. Plastic is everywhere – from roadside fruit carts to the piles of displosable cups and wrappers scattered across Liberty Market – or any place in Lahore for that matter, there is plastic. While plastic has revolutionized packaging and consumption, its afterlife has resulted in a crisis in urban spaces – choking Pakistan’s environmental health.
According to the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA), the country generates approximately 3.9 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, and only 3% of it is recycled (Ilyas, 2023). Additionally, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) gives staggering high figures for Pakistan’s mounting plastic waste with 65% coastal waste confirmed as plastic – water bottles, plastic bags, bottles caps, and plastics wrappers (WWF, 2023).What’s left is either discarded into landfills or drains while some is burnt leading to toxic emissions that directly impact the air and water quality.
Lahore, Pakistan’s second largest city, is one of the worst when it comes to plastic waste’s impact. Streets are littered with plastic and polythene bags which also frequently block the rainwater drains resulting in urban flooding and even diseases.
Dr. Rubina Shaheen, Assistant Professor at the Department of Environmental Sciences, Punjab University, highlights the gravity of the issue.
“Lahore has no dedicated plastic recycling or segregation system on municipal level given the massive amounts of plastic that is choking the city’s infrastructure. This is beyond alarming.”
On the other hand, Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) collects approx. 6000 tons of waste from which nearly 14% comprises of plastic – confirming in their annual report (LWMC, 2022). What’s important to note here is that most of that plastic is not separated during collection but dumped in an open ground – e.g. Lakhodair.
Burning plastic waste results in the release of harmful carcinogens which contribute to respiratory diseases and exacerbate urban air pollution in Lahore – one of the most polluted cities in the world with an AQI reaching over 1000 (a hazardous level reached during smog) (IQAir, 2024).
Moreover, when plastic waste is disposed or makes way into the Ravi River, it not only negatively impacts the marine life but also contaminates irrigation water resulting in an impact on the agricultural growth and sector as well.
Dr. Zainab Mushtaq, a public health researcher from Health and Pollution Network (HPAN) explained:
“There is a direct co-relation between poor waste management and rising gastric and respiratory issues. Results show that children in low-income neighborhoods are more susceptible
to these diseases as they play around waste heaps or open drains.”
Despite these dire circumstance, it is the effort of the informal sector i.e. our local waste pickers often known as “kabari walas or kabariya” that play a role in managing the plastic waste in the city – and recycle it. An estimated 80,000 informal waste pickers collect plastic waste and sell it to small-scale recycling units – spinning the wheel.
Mian Iqbal, a scrap dealer in Garhi Shahu Bazaar explains:
“We sort and organize plastic manually and sell it to recycling plants in Sheikhupura or
Gujranwala but there is no support from the government. If there was, we would’ve helped so
much more – recycled 10x times more.”
Unfortunately, the lack of government support and funds results in no social protection and the local recycling process remaining inefficient and hazardous.
In 2020, the Ministry of Climate Change introduced a ban on single-use plastic bags in Islamabad and other major cities. However, Punjab’s capital has seen stark inconsistency in implementation. While the Punjab Plastic Ban Act was approved in 2023, enforcement remains limited to select areas.
Lawyer Arshad Jahangir Jhoja argues:
“Legislation without execution is ineffective. You cannot ban plastic without presenting the public with a cheap and accessible alternative. A proper plan is needed for effective
implementation.”
Encouragingly, local startups are working tirelessly to combat this plastic waste issue. Companies like Greenovation are developing sustainable packaging in an effort to provide a better alternative for plastic while advocating on accountability on the mass producers of plastic products. Organizations and NGOs like WWF-Pakistan have actively engaged schools and communities in clean up drives and plastic segregation drives across the city.
Lahore’s residents once made aware of the rising issue also came forth in combating the issue, in whatever capacity that they could. This showed that the public was willing to contribute but unaware of the issue resulting in highlighting the need of government-led awareness drives to inform resident of Lahore on plastic waste and provide adaptable alternatives. While Lahore battles smog, traffic, and overpopulation, the threat of plastic waste remains unchecked. It is high time that a collective action is taken by the government and the city’s residents before it’s too late.
Works Cited
Ilyas, F. (2023, June 5). National action plan sought on plastic waste. Retrieved from DAWN: https://www.dawn.com/news/1758010
IQAir. (2024). Retrieved from IQAir: https://www.iqair.com/world-air-quality-ranking
LWMC. (2022). Annual Report. Retrieved from https://www.lwmc.com.pk/
WWF. (2023). Tackling Plastic Pollution in Pakistan. Retrieved from https://www.wwfpak.org/issues/plastic_pollution/
Written by Zarmeen
Student of Beaconhouse National University (BNU)
