The Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has circulated its order wherein it said that manufacturing, keeping in stock and sale of coloured polypropylene woven sacks was prohibited for packing (sugar)' with effect from April 15, 2007.
The decision was taken in exercise of powers conferred under section 14 of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) Act 1996 (Act VI of 1996). From April 15, onward only translucent/ transparent (virgin without addition of any colour) could be used for sugar packing.
The PSQCA order said the manufacturing, keeping in stock and sale of coloured polypropylene woven sacks had been banned, which do not confirm to the PS: 3128, established by PSQCA in relation to the specified article and without having authorised standard mark.
The enforcement of the directive will ensure health and hygiene of consumer, as nature of the material used ie, colorful polypropylene woven demand that it should have maximum durability, better non degradability and having non carcinogenic effects and of food grade quality.
The government has already made 46 consumer items compulsory with the same bindings. The credit of banning the use of recycled polypropylene woven sacks goes to federal ministers Naurez Shakoor and Faisal Saleh Hayat who took their personal interest to initiate the case to study the impact of their growing use on the public health. The ministry of Environment is also working on the idea to also ban the use of recycled polypropylene woven sacks for packaging of other food items such as flour and its variety of products.