Pakistan produces 2.5 million tons of garbage every year

KARACHI: Plastic bags, pet bottles, and food scraps make up as much as 2.5 million tonnes of litter in Pakistan, and roughly 65 percent of the total debris, including water bottle tops, plastic bags, and packaging, washed up on Pakistani beaches.

According to WWF Pakistan, 55 billion plastic bags are currently in use in Pakistan, with an estimated 15 percent yearly rise. 

On the other hand, seven billion tonnes of plastic have been created worldwide to date, with just 0.7 billion tonnes being recycled.

While attending the inaugural event of the Novatex Research Lab at the Department of Chemical Engineering University of Karachi, Chaudhry Anees Ahmed, General-Manager, Novatex, shared these comments on behalf of the company. The chemical engineering department's new research lab was officially opened by Professor Dr Nasira Khatoon, acting Vice-Chancellor, University of Karachi, and Naim Kassem, Executive General Manager, Novatex.

In addition, the chemical engineering department's seminar hall will host a one-day session on environmentally friendly methods for disposing of solid waste.

East Asia produces 143 million tonnes of plastic annually, whereas Europe and Central Asia create 112 million tonnes, and North America produces 95 million tonnes of plastic, according to a World Bank report. Only 10 per cent of the 380 million metric tonnes of plastic that will be produced in 2021 will be recycled.

In addition to lessening the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators, proper recycling of these items helps conserve natural resources like timber, water, and minerals, as well as reduce pollution by curbing the requirement to gather new raw materials and saving energy, according to Anees Ahmad.

Novatex plans to recycle 80 000 tonnes of PET bottles in the next three years.