Pakistan is well poised to become the most popular destination of world's plastic waste. As of 2012, it is already the key dumping ground of waste originating from the gulf region including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and UAE. Recently on the back of growing environmental concerns with new controls being implemented by China and Malaysia, it seems that we are now set to attract scrap of European origin as well.
According to stakeholders, to tighten the control of plastic recycling, China's Ministry of Environmental Protection, Ministry of Commerce and National Development and Reform Commission have enforced strict regulations that prohibit the import of unwashed, post-consumer plastics as well as banning the transfer of imported waste to a company other than that allowed by the Chinese import license.
It will also not allow Chinese companies to sell unwashed leftover plastic from sorting of imported plastic and paper. To control the influx of hazardous plastic waste, Chinese government has directed plastic recycling companies to report any imports that are banned or contravene environment protection rules as it cracks down on the quality of imports. New policies for both domestic and imported plastic scrap include, not allowing recycling in residential areas and a ban on processing plastic without sufficient water treatment facilities. Also, local environmental protection agencies have been told to inspect plastic recycling companies and publish a list of qualified recyclers, as well as those who fail the inspections.
Stakeholders believe that currently around 67 per cent of the UK's plastic waste is exported to the Far East, particularly China and if UK is unable to maintain its plastic scrap exports to China, Pakistan would be the safest choice due to lax rules and even weaker implementation governing import of plastic scrap. They said that Pakistan imported over 70,000 tons of plastic scrap in the last two years. Saudi Arabia is the biggest plastic scrap exporter to Pakistan making up 44 and 49 per cent of total imports in 2011 and 2013 respectively.
Most of the plastic scrap is used in manufacturing of pipes, which are used for supply of water, despite the fact that it's not allowed as per Pakistani Pipe manufacturing standard PS 3051/1991.
Informed sources told Business Recorder on Wednesday that Pakistani authorities allow import of all kinds of hazardous scrap such as medical, clinical waste, sewerage and drainage pipes, cable insulation, bottles, food containers, packaging film etc containing contaminants and hazardous traces of pesticides, pest excrement , chemicals, sewerage, infectious diseases, food particles, unknown composition polymers which are toxic and eco toxic.
The hazard may, therefore, result from exposure of people who are involved in handling of material, ie for sampling, clearance, manufacturing and use of end products etc. Such hazardous plastic scrap is available free of cost in many developed countries of the world which is a big attraction for Pakistani importers, who regardless of the hazards associated with this import are grossly involved in this heinous act, especially due to the fact that compared with other developing countries in the region regulations are extremely lax in nature.
Sources said that plastic scrap is being imported in violation of Basel convention to which Pakistan is signatory. As per Basel convention, hazardous material can only be exported if there is confirmation from Basel convention focal point of importing country (Ministry of Climate Change is the focal point in this case) is obtained, which is not done in the case of our country. Basel convention specifies 27 waste streams and 18 constituent materials; whose presence in any product can make it hazardous. Therefore to declare products non-hazardous not only the exterior items but constituent materials also need to be checked.
The Government of Pakistan needs to take queue from other developing nations in the region including China, India, Sri lanka where a conscious effort has been made to regulate the flow of hazardous waste within their sovereign borders. Doing something as simple as adopting their best practices will go a long way in protecting the well being of present as well as future generations, stakeholders said.
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