LAHORE: The Punjab Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has intensified its drive against single-use plastics by prohibiting shops, retail centres, restaurants, hotels and other commercial establishments from charging customers separately for plastic shopping bags from September 6, 2026, warning that violators could face fines of up to Rs50,000, sealing of business premises and registration of FIRs.
The directive, issued by Director General EPA Punjab Dr Imran Hamid Sheikh under Section 5(4) of the Punjab Environmental Protection Act, 1997, states that businesses will no longer be allowed to recover any fee or price for plastic shopping bags while selling their products.
However, they may charge customers for reusable or recyclable shopping bags made from cloth or any other non-plastic, environmentally friendly material.
Dr Sheikh said the measure was part of the Punjab government’s broader mission to make the province free of single-use plastics and encourage sustainable alternatives. He urged consumers to report any commercial establishment charging separately for plastic shopping bags by calling the EPA helpline 1373.
The EPA observed that many retailers had started charging consumers additional amounts for branded plastic shopping bags, effectively treating them as a separate saleable product while also earning profit on them. The practice, the agency said, had encouraged greater production of polyethylene and polypropylene bags and discouraged the use of reusable and recyclable alternatives made from environmentally friendly materials.
According to the order, the Punjab Environmental Protection (Production and Consumption of Single-Use Plastic Products) Regulations, 2023, require consumers, including shops, retail centres, restaurants and hotels, to minimise the use of single-use plastic products, ensure proper plastic waste management and promote reusable or recyclable shopping bags.
The DG warned that any violation of the order would invite legal action under Regulation 13 read with Schedule V of the 2023 Regulations. Besides fines ranging from Rs5,000 to Rs50,000, authorities may seal the premises of defaulting businesses and register FIRs against offenders.
The notification will come into force on September 6, 2026, and will remain effective until modified or withdrawn by the competent authority. The EPA has urged businesses to shift towards environmentally friendly packaging solutions and called on consumers to support the campaign by opting for reusable bags and reporting violations.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026