Karachi: Around 300 million tons of plastic waste is produced every year, which is nearly equivalent to the weight of the human population. The world today faces worrying trends of an increase in the rate of plastic production and its disposal. To put an end to this growing problem, WWF-Pakistan in collaboration with Hoga Saaf Pakistan launched #BeatPlasticPollution campaign. This 4-day activity at Dolmen Mall Clifton invited people to donate their used plastic bottles in exchange for the opportunity to win exciting gifts from PIA, Careem, Espresso, Heyday, Mocca, Daraz, Mortein and Harpic. The campaign focused on educating the masses about the world and the country’s plastic problem and how important it is to recycle. The plastic waste collected will be subsequently recycled by Waste Busters. The event was supported by Catwalkcares and the PR was managed by Catalyst PR & Marketing.
Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General, WWF-Pakistan shared that the same properties that make plastics durable and resistant to degradation are the very reasons why they are impossible to completely break down. This campaign is just the tip of the iceberg in taking steps to sustainable deal with this growing problem. WWF-Pakistan with support from numerous partners will continue to initiate more campaigns to promote a cleaner Pakistan.
Fahad Ashraf, Chief Executive, RB Pakistan said, “Our plastic bottles in Pakistan are recyclable as part of RB Pakistan’s commitment to reduce plastic pollution and our “Hoga Saaf Pakistan” pledge for a healthier and cleaner country. This initiative of #BeatPlasticPollution is one of our firsts in creating meaningful partnerships to find possible solutions to our plastic problem.”
One of the major concerns of plastic waste is how it is putting marine life in grave danger since marine animals ingest plastic. This not only causes internal injuries but toxins are also passed into the food chain consumed by humans.
“We are in the middle of a plastic calamity. Plastic production is expected to skyrocket in the next 10 years and if we don’t take immediate actions then it is predicted that the world’s oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050. As a country, we need effective strategies to curb single-use plastics, which includes all plastic material we use once and throw away like plastic bags, straws, water bottles, etc,” said Dr. Babar Khan, Regional Director, Sindh and Balochistan.
The #BeatPlasticPollution campaign contributes to a larger initiative launched by WWF-Pakistan, the Green Innovation Challenge, in collaboration with Clean Seas and powered by JS Bank and NIC Karachi. The challenge is a start-up competition that aims to harness the forces of innovation and entrepreneurship to tackle the issue of plastic waste faced by Pakistan. WWF-Pakistan will provide a platform to innovators of the country to come forth with economically viable long-term solutions to end plastic waste discharged into the oceans and to effectively recycle plastic waste in Pakistan. The most feasible idea will be awarded seed funding of PKR 1 million to convert the idea into a social enterprise. The competition is supported by PIA, Dettol, Nestle Pakistan, Artistic Fabric and Garment Industries, The Nest i/o, Careem, Mortein and Harpic. Media partners for the Green Innovation Challenge are Mangobaaz and FM91.
Every piece of plastic ever made still exists somewhere in the world and we need to play our role individually in protecting the planet from becoming one big plastic waste dump.
