Page 28 - Plastics News September 2020

Aliplast launches turnkey closed-loop for Pakistan re-instates ban on single-use plastic
plastics bags in Lahore
uropean PE film and PET sheet producer Aliplast has akistan has re-instated a ban on single-use
Edeveloped a circular system that allows for the Ppolyethylene (PE) plastic bags in Lahore, the
introduction of plastics materials in the recycling
capital of its most densely populated province of
cycle, reducing costs and impact on the environment.
Punjab, and provided a 15-day grace period from early
Called closed-loop, the system can be leveraged by August to ensure compliance by allowing stores to
companies in industries such as packaging (for food and
arrange for alternatives. Punjab province is home to as
beverage) and ceramics. Designed for the treatment of
special waste – waste produced by companies – the much as 60% of the country's plastic processors. “Even
system is a vertical process for the recovery and though the ban was announced in Punjab province
October last year, it has been observed that it is
followed only in some parts of the province,” a Lahore-
based resident said. In the country's capital of
Islamabad, which banned single-use plastic bags in
August last year, implementation was also lax. “Single-
use plastic bags remain banned in the national capital
of Islamabad since August, but here too, the ban is not
strictly enforced,” said a resident of the city. Big stores
in the capital followed the ban but the smaller shops
continued to flout the rules, said another resident. The
implementation of the ban was further challenged by
the coronavirus outbreak since the start of the year.

recycling of plastics. The waste is collected in the
customer's production centre before being transported
to one of Aliplast's processing centres across Italy,
France, Spain and Poland. Here the material is
selected, ground and regenerated. The finished
product that comes out of the process is a material
comparable to virgin plastics in terms of quality and
that can then be processed to obtain flexible PE films or
can be kept in granules in order to be converted at a
later date. Aliplast offers a turnkey service, taking care
of the whole waste material processing cycle: from the
collection of the disposed product at the customer
company centre to the delivery of regenerated Government authorities' focus shifted from the plastic
material. According to the company, the adoption of ban to enforcing measures necessary to curb the spread
the circular model leads to an indefinite extension of of the deadly flu-like disease. Consumer behaviour has
the lifespan of plastics, promoting its recovery and
also shifted, with buyers seeking comfort in single-use
limiting its release into the environment thereby disposable bags amid the pandemic. The government
leading to a considerable reduction of the potential
appears serious in efforts to push for a “Clean Green
pollution caused by this material, whose perception is
also transformed, from problem to resource. The Pakistan” agenda under Prime Minister Imran Khan. The
second benefit is of an economic nature and results ban on single-use plastic bags in 2019 was accompanied
from the adoption of a closed-loop process as it can by crackdowns of shops flouting the regulation, and
greatly optimize the costs of waste disposal, while also imposition of hefty fines on companies producing,
guaranteeing the continuous availability of quality- selling or distributing these plastic bags.
controlled material.

September 2020 28 Plastics News