Panel Discussion : Towards Plastic Circularity in Pakistan

Pakistan has one of the highest percentages of mismanaged plastic in South Asia. More than 3.3 million tons of plastic are wasted in Pakistan each year, and most of it ends up in landfills, unmanaged dumps, or in nature—land and water bodies across the country[1]. Plastic accounts for an estimated 40% of all marine litter found along Pakistan's coastline[2].

Plastic pollution not only damages the environment but also poses significant health risks to humans.

The issue of plastic pollution is a symptom of a larger system, which is the linear take-make-waste model, where products are designed to be used once and then discarded.

We really need to shift towards a circular economy model to mitigate the harmful consequences of plastic pollution and reduce our reliance on plastic. According to UNEP’s recent publication titled “Turning Off the Tap”, to end plastic pollution by 2040, the report puts forward three key shifts that need to be made: reuse, recycle, reorient, and diversity[3].

To accelerate action towards circularity in plastics in Pakistan, GO4SDGs and SPDI have jointly organized a panel discussion at SPDI’s 26th Sustainable Development Conference in Pakistan that will bring together experts to explore solutions towards a circular economy in plastics.