ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's first ever research study (baseline scoping study) for plastic waste management/recycling sector, conducted by WWF-Pakistan with support of The Coca-Cola Foundation, was launched during a ceremony held here on Wednesday. Zartaj Gul, Minister of State for Climate Change was the Guest of Honour.
This study is the outcome of a joint realization by Coca-Cola and WWF-Pakistan to map out Pakistan's current plastic waste generation and management supply chain. The study has identified current perceptions and opinions of key stakeholders with regards to plastic waste generation, segregation, collection and disposal. Data was collected through interviews and survey questionnaire to analyze PET consumption, collection, disposal and recycling patterns in 10 selected cities across Pakistan.
These included Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Gilgit, Murree, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Gujranwala and Faisalabad. This informative research aims to guide government and environment related stakeholders in policy planning, so that the issue of plastic waste management can be addressed much more effectively. The study encourages PET bottles recycling as an effective solution to tackle Pakistan's plastic waste pollution and also help create a circular economy of reusable plastic.
The event was also attended by Naheed Shah Durrani, Secretary at the Ministry of Climate Change, Fahad Ashraf, VP; General Manager for Pakistan and Afghanistan region at The Coca-Cola Export Corporation, Hammad Naqi Khan, CEO at WWF-Pakistan, Dr. Masood Arshad, Senior Director Water, Food; Climate at WWF-Pakistan, representatives from UNDP, CDA, GIZ, Federal Environment Protection Agency and members of Pakistan's first plastic packaging alliance CoRe as guests.
While highlighting the importance of this report, Hammad Naqi Khan, CEO at WWF-Pakistan said, "eight million tonnes of plastics are dumped in the oceans every year. It is reported that if no action is taken, there could be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050. We need urgent action to stop the leakage of plastics into all water bodies. There is a dire need to formalise plastic recycling and bridge the gap between distributors and recyclers ensuring products are manufactured from responsibly sourced materials. It is therefore an extended producer responsibility to ensure that the waste is sustainably managed."
Speaking at the occasion, Fahad Ashraf, VP and General Manager for Pakistan and Afghanistan region at The Coca-Cola Export Corporation said that in line with the growing concern of reducing packaging waste generation, The Coca-Cola Company launched in 2018 a bold and ambitious product packaging policy titled 'World Without Waste', whereby the Company pledged to lead the industry by helping to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can it sells in the market by year 2030.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020