Lacking recycling technology | Political Economy

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In Pakistan, poultry people talk about waste, this debate is almost always within the realm of plastic ban. Photos of the wasted bags in the air are a sign of our pollution problem. Nevertheless, the country’s waste crisis is far more complicated than the dialogue advice.

According to UN Commerce data, Pakistan produces 49.6 million tonnes of waste every year. Plastic is only 4 % of it. Great bulk is made of organic waste (62 %) and construction and demolition (30 %). Nevertheless, the policy attention and implementation energy is almost completely in one of the small waste rivers.

In terms of plastic consumption, Pakistan is low globally. The annual use of per capita stands between 7 and 7.5kg, which is 130kg for countries like the United States, 129kg in Japan, even India 12kg and Sri Lanka 8kg. The recycling rate is modest, which is around 7.6 to 7.8 percent, yet the global average is close to 9 %.

Almost all of this is driven by the informal network of private sector, small and medium -sized businesses and waste -picking and trash dealers. Pet bottles are exceptions. Of these, 80 to 90 % of these deposits and regeneration are re -produced in polyester fibers or other resin products that eat small manufacturing business.

The real obstacle is capacity. There are no regular recycling facilities in Pakistan to take action on complex plastics, especially under resin code 4 to 7, which are notorious for recycling. This category includes stire foam, bubble wrap, drink straws, egg cartons and disposable cutlery, materials that are hazardous and permanent in the environment. Multi-layer packaging faces similar challenges, although a handful of startups such as concept loop and Distan-Oval Roman have found ways to run it in market products. In the upper part of it, the country is absorbing the increasing amount of imported plastic waste, which has been a bit of a lot of supervision on how it is handled. In 2024, plastic imports reached $ 5.3 billion, while exports had only $ 930 million, which causes Pakistan to endure the environmental cost of consumption habits of the rest of the countries.

If plastic represents such a small part of our waste, why are they dominated by the policy agenda? The answer is partially in the meantime because it is easy to see plastic waste and easy to manage politically. However, neglect of the main waste stream is an expensive surveillance. Organic waste, in particular, represents both lost opportunities and moral failure. Every day, a large amount of food is thrown at restaurants, caterers and banquet halls, while millions of people struggle with food insecurity.

Pakistan has no formal, government -backed network of food banks that are unable to save surplus food and re -distribute it by SMEs, community -based organizations and NGOs. The absence of such a system means that instead of plates, safe, usable food ends in landfills. If it was being arranged, it could help us achieve the goals of SDG2 (zero hunger).

If unmanageable, biological garbage has stopped drainage channels, causes floods of citizens and enters pollution into the environment. Although some countries recycle such material in road bases, gatherings and building blocks, Pakistan easily throws it.

Agricultural losses add another layer to this problem. Due to poor handling, storage and transportation, the country is about Rs 500 billion annually in the aftermath of crop. These disadvantages are beyond economics. When the remnants of the crops are burned, they increase environmental risks, which increases the repeated smog crisis. These supplementary products have a clear value in the circular economy. Rice straws and straws, for example, can be processed in bio -energy, brakes, bio -four or durable packaging.

Similarly, corn poles can be converted into animal food, manuscripts or biocares. Weight chapters and straws can act as mile or compressed fodder. Fruits and vegetable waste can be composted for kitchen gardens and organic farming. Some SMEs, such as traceat PK, have already made small -scale solutions, which have converted the kitchen waste into the phase for the use of gardening, but without the separation system, their access is limited.

The construction and demolition debris, which is about one -third of the total waste, has been ignored. If unnecessary, it prevents drainage channels, fueling citizens’ floods and enters pollution into the environment. While some countries recycle such materials in road base, gross and building blocks, Pakistan easily throws it. This match is clear in waste priorities. Plastic restrictions often target carrier bags, irrespective of the fact that there are more recycles than many other types of plastics, have become the focus of policy, while high -effective waste streams are widespread.

Without separation on the source, separating organic, recycled and hazardous material, any attempt to manage meaningful waste will be damaged. Even in plastic -banned areas, the implementation is complex. Non -compliance products are common. And the viable alternatives are very few.

Internationally, countries are discussing a global plastic agreement under the Bank Official Talks Committee (Ink) 5.2 in Geneva. For Pakistan, these things are more than symbolic. They can renew the waste management and new shapes.

High -income countries advance global demand with high plastic consumption and often export their waste to developing countries, which changes the burden of wasting. A fair solution is in the responsibility of the global expansion consumer, under which developed countries will pay the recycling fee to the nations handling their waste.

Developing countries can issue plastic credit to both domestic and imported plastic if high -use countries need to buy them. The revenue can be installed in the separation system, the layout of facilities and the recycling infrastructure. These provisions must be embedded in the global agreement to have a sustainable development target on responsible consumption and production.

Pakistan’s waste challenge, in fact, is the problem of governance and system. To deal with this, nationwide separation is needed on the municipal system, private sector partnerships, viable side laws and public education. Along with the plastic problem, the largest waste rivers, organic and construction waste should be preferred for recovery, composting and recycling. In order to handle complex and hazardous plastics, recycling capacity will have to be expanded, taking advantage of the already ongoing innovation between SMEs and Startups.

The circular economy can create jobs about the post, construction debris and eating waste, and reduce environmental loss. At the same time, Pakistan will have to advocate for the appropriate global trade arrangements that force the waste exporters to contribute to secure processing among the recipients.

As long as the waste priorities are set for convenience, the crisis will continue to increase. Focusing on a ban on plastics, while 92 % of waste rivers are organized, such as trying to clean the floods without shutting down water supply. Indeed an effective waste policy should solve the whole picture, not only the part that is most visible.

The author at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute leads the program on environmental stability and circular economy. She tweees @Zen Benim