Large-scale production of plastic garbage seriously harms both the environment and human health.  In an effort to address the city’s plastic trash, the Sindh Solid trash Management Board in Hyderabad opened the first Polyethylene Plastic Recycling Plant at the Garbage Transfer Station in partnership with a waste management business. The public sector initiative, which is a component of the World Bank-funded PLEASE project (Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia), would use recycled plastic to make manhole covers, which are sometimes stolen by drug addicts.  Along with SSWMB, the company is looking for a landfill where it can set up a plant to turn trash into electricity over the course of the next two years.  Its goal is to raise awareness of trash reduction and recyclables.  According to the project manager, eight tons of the 1,100 tonnes of municipal solid trash collected at the moment are made of polyethylene plastic, of which three pieces are used to make 100 manhole covers for civic organizations.

Plastic garbage is known to contaminate entire bodies of water, which has a catastrophic impact on marine life. Therefore, it is important to guarantee and duplicate the Hyderabad initiative’s success throughout the nation, especially in Karachi. The latter has become a huge landfill for trash. An earlier attempt to construct a road with plastic was successful in Punjab. Sindh declared the same goal in 2023, however it was in vain. Regarding packaging, using reusable plastic rather than single-use plastic can help save money and cut down on waste. For the time being, paper, glass, and metal are acceptable substitutes as the world looks for a long-term sustainable solution. Any material’s effects on the environment must be tracked to make sure they provide more good than harm. In order to address socioeconomic and environmental losses, administrative resolve needs to be proactive and evident.

Pakistan stands at a critical juncture. The plastic crisis demands immediate and concerted action from the government, industry, civil society, and every individual. Failing to address this choking hazard will not only compound our environmental woes but also jeopardize the well-being and prosperity of future generations. It’s time to turn the tide on plastic pollution and embrace a sustainable future.