Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan has decided to promulgate an ordinance regulating the manufacture, sale and use of plastic bags for reasons that they are a source of nuisance, block sewage system and various other problems.
Secretary Environment and Alternate Energy Shamsul Haq Memon gave a presentation to the Sindh governor on managing polythene waste.
He said Low Density Polythene (LDPE) is used to manufacture plastic bags of all sizes for agriculture mulch, building site protection, lamination and all kinds of packing and electrical cable insulation. He said polythene bags are non-biodegradable. They may take up to 1000 years to decompose.
Giving the positive aspects of polythene bags, Memon said it is easy to carry, durable and waterproof. It is a cost effective alternate for paper products. He said its negative aspects are litter, environmental nuisance, blocked sewage and drainage systems, create waterborne diseases, damage infrastructure.
Polythene burning emits harmful gases-dioxins, cyanide, chlorine, etc Recycled and black polythene are carcinogenic and cause cancer. It is hazardous to aquatic life and their breeding grounds, health risk to workers in plastic manufacturing and recycling industry, it is also breeding ground for waterborne diseases and does not degrade in landfill sites.
He said various countries and states have started taking measures to reduce the use of polythene bags and impose ban on their use and manufacturing. They include Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Ireland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, South Africa, Singapore, Europe, Bangladesh and India.