KARACHI: Plastic waste is a global problem, creating mountains of waste and contributing to global warming. For businesses of all sizes, transitioning to zero waste through environmentally-responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of plastics is an important path to limiting the impacts of climate change and temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.
The Pakistan Business Council and The British High Commission, Islamabad have launched a knowledge series for businesses in Pakistan to raise awareness on how businesses in Pakistan have committed to the race to zero campaign. 'It presents an excellent opportunity to stock-take on how Pakistan's business sector views both the risks and opportunities which exist in relation to climate change,' highlighted Ehsan Malik, Chief Executive Officer of The Pakistan Business Council.
"We are pleased to have members who can demonstrate innovative practices of reusing plastic waste."
Plastics are made primarily from fossil fuels. By reducing, reusing, and recycling we can cut down on the large quantities of fossil fuels used to produce plastics and in doing so, reduce emissions by a significant level. According to a report by WWF Global, in 2021 alone, researchers estimate that the production and incineration of plastic will pump more than 850 million tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. 'Our responsibility lies in rethinking the role of plastics in their business by keeping plastic in use for as long as possible in a circular loop system by collecting, processing and reusing it' says Amir Paracha, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Unilever Pakistan 'we have partnered with the UNDP to make it a plastics free city by 2025'.
Resource efficiency and resource circularity are central pillars of the circular economy approach. 'Gatron currently recycles and reuses 14 million plastic bottles a month to make polymers which is then used to produce Polyester Filament Yarn for textiles' elaborated Rizwan Diwan, Executive Director, Gatron Novatex. "Whilst we are investing in technology, a circular economy requires an infrastructure which requires industry, the public sector and educational institutions working together."
In the webinar it was highlighted educational institutions can support to move towards the circular economy in two ways. The recycling habit can be inculcated in the behaviors of children and the society at large by being taught at primary schools. At the tertiary education level, research can provide the answers. Researchers Dr. Waheed Afzal and Usman Azam from the University of Aberdeen presented on the technique of plastics can yield high quality and exceptionally saturated liquid fuels which could be directly used as a source of energy production or as a transportation fuel.
'Compared with physical and mechanical plastic waste management processes' remarked Dr Waheed, 'hydrocracking is the most environmentally-friendly, climate-resilient technology'. The circularity of resources which in an optimal production setting ensures that no resources are lost; materials retain their value, and nothing is characterized as waste - can become a central pillar of a sustainability-centric, profitable business model that is 'Good for the Planet, Good for Business'!.-PR
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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