Manufacturers want crackdown against smuggling of non-degradable plastic bags

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KARACHI, Oct 10 (APP):As the provincial government moves to clean Karachi and the rest of Sindh of non-degradable plastic bags, plastic manufacturers have urged the authorities to curb the smuggling
of non-degradable plastic bags to protect the local industry and promote the use of recyclable bags which are now available in the local market.

Pakistan Plastic Manufacturers Association (PPMA) Senior Vice Chairman Muhammad Shoaib Munshi told APP on Thursday that the recyclable plastic bags were available in the open market as an
alternative to non-degradable bags, which have been banned by the provincial government since October 1.

He apprised that the PPMA had cleared the backlog of non-degradable plastic bags from Joria Bazaar, Liaquatabad, Malir and other markets of Karachi, adding that recyclable plastic bags were now available
in these markets.

Munshi said that traders had started placing orders to factories for recyclable plastic bags that conform the set standards. However, he noted changes in the bags’ thickness had increased its
manufacturing cost.

He pointed out that packets of bags weighing one kilogram used to have 1,000 to 1,100 bags which had now reduced to a few hundreds due to changes in thickness and size.
The plastic manufacturers’ representative suggested to the government to set up points for the collection of used plastic bags for their recycling.

Separately, Additional Inspector General of Karachi Police Ghulam Nabi Memon told APP that the police on the pointation of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) were taking action in
wholesale markets to enforce the ban on non-gradable plastic bags.
During raids in various markets, he added, the authorities in the presence of police confiscated the stock of banned plastic bags, he added.

The Sindh government through a notification imposed a complete ban on the manufacturing, sales, purchase and use of non-degradable plastic bags of all sizes from October 1. However, the government
allowed the use of oxo-biodegradable plastic, an environment-friendly replacement for the single-use plastic packaging.

According to the notification, only oxo-biodegradable plastic/shopping bags of the following sizes will be used: Micron 40 (Single Side), Weight 6.00 gm, Size 10 x 14; Micron 30 (Single Side), Weight 6.00 gm, Size 12 x 16; Micron 30 (Single Side), Weight 7.50 gm, Size 14 x 18; Micron 30 (Single Side), Weight 10.00 gm, Size 16 x 22; Micron 30 (Single Side), Weight 11.00 gm, Size 17 x 22; Micron 30 (Single Side), Weight 13.00 gm, Size 18 x 26; Micron 30 (Single Side), Weight 15.00 gm, Size 20 x 30; Micron 30 (Single Side), Weight 28.00 gm, Size 30 x 40.

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