F there is anything that is a recurring motif of day-to-day life in Pakistan, it is the unsightly plastic bag or `shopper` as we refer to it colloquially. Now the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has ordered a ban, to come into effect in the province after two months, on the production and distribution of polythene bags because of their adverse impact on drainage systems and the environment as a whole. In the interim, all existing stocks of plastic bags will be removed from markets and factories, and shopkeepers told to stop buying them and ensure early disposal of bags already purchased. An awareness campaign is also to be launched through the media and other available forums to educate the public about the consequences of using this non-biodegradable item, and the sanctions that will be incurred should anyone continue to utilise them beyond the grace period. The use of paper bags will be encouraged instead.

A 2004 study estimated that, based on figures available at the time, the number of plastic bags used in Pakistan every year would be an astounding 112 billion by 2015. There is no doubt that the sooner this ubiquitous polluter of our waterways, sewage lines and shoreline is taken out of circulation, the better it will be. Many an attempt has been made in the past to ban them, but to no avail aside from the federal ban on black plastic bags -largely because of the authorities` lackadaisical, disorganised approach. Every monsoon season in particular, when choked drainage lines create havoc in urban areas, the imperative need for action on this front is reiterated, and then promptly forgotten. However, enabling a gradual transition for both suppliers and consumers to switch to biodegradable paper bags as long as they are made from recycled paper is a sensible and environmentally sound measure that can viably be enforced, if the will to do so is there. The other provinces too should take a leaf out of KP`s book.