Coordinator to the Prime Minister for Climate Change, Romina Khurshid Alam highlighted the stark financial and environmental costs of single-use plastic pollution during Green Action Week 2025 seminar at NUST on Thursday.
She warned that plastic pollution's impact extends far beyond waste, aggravating climate change and causing urban flooding, while threatening public health.
She stated that a 2021 WWF report estimated the lifetime cost of plastic produced in 2019 alone at $3.7 trillion. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), plastic pollution imposes an annual burden of $19 billion on the global economy due to environmental damage. Additionally, another study estimated that marine plastic pollution leads to losses ranging from $500 billion to $2.5 trillion each year.
Ms. Romina said plastic pollution and inadequate waste management are recognized as serious economic, social, and environmental challenges for Pakistan. The country produces 3.3 million tons of plastic waste each year, most of which is improperly handled.
Romina Khurshid Alam emphasized the gravity of plastic’s infiltration into the environment and human bodies through microplastics, demanding urgent policy and societal action. “Plastic pollution has become a defining challenge of our era, with millions of tons choking rivers, cities, and marine ecosystems annually,” she said, underscoring that unchecked, the crisis will worsen biodiversity loss and hamper climate resilience.
Ms. Romina said government has enacted and begun enforcing the single-use plastics prohibition regulations, starting with stringent measures in Islamabad and expanding nationwide.
"This ban targets key plastic waste sources such as polythene bags, disposable cutlery, and straws, with strict penalties for violators. Enforcement cooperation with provinces and local authorities is ramping up", she added.
However, Romina Khurshid noted that regulation alone is insufficient. Behavioral change is pivotal to replace throwaway habits with sustainable practices. Public awareness, education, and community engagement during green action week support this shift.
She said the government is promoting alternatives like cotton bags, paper packaging, and biodegradable products, while incentivizing sustainable manufacturing and recycling infrastructure development under the “Plastic-Free Pakistan” campaign.
The campaign also repurposes confiscated plastics into useful products such as benches and planters, encouraging zero-waste lifestyles. Romina Khurshid called for collective responsibility among citizens, industry, and government to boost compliance and replicate successes like Punjab’s plastic ban.
She concluded with a vision for a greener Pakistan, saying, “Together, let us turn the tide on plastic pollution to secure healthy rivers, vibrant habitats, and sustainable communities, an investment in our environment and economy that safeguards current and future generations.”
She noted the combined financial burden of plastic pollution, including cleanup costs, healthcare impacts, and climate-related damages, puts the economic urgency behind Pakistan’s national plastic ban efforts, projected to save millions of dollars annually while enhancing ecosystem resilience.
