Key Takeaways
- Retailers and FMCG companies in Islamabad face immediate ban on PET bottles.
- OICCI and CoRe Alliance urge government to withdraw ban, citing environmental and economic concerns.
- Local authorities have begun enforcement actions, sealing several retail outlets.
Local retail outlets and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies in Islamabad are grappling with a sudden ban on the sale of products packaged in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, imposed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
The decision, announced without prior warning or notification, has left the retail and FMCG sectors in a state of confusion and concern.
The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) has expressed serious concerns over the ban, arguing that it could undermine recycling efforts and adversely affect businesses.
In a letter to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, OICCI urged the government to strengthen waste collection, segregation, and recycling systems instead of imposing a blanket ban on recyclable PET packaging.
The CoRe Alliance also sought intervention from the Board of Investment (BOI) to withdraw the proposed ban, ensuring effective enforcement of the ICT Single-Use Plastics Regulations, 2023, and supporting broader efforts to promote ease of doing business.
Industry experts and business leaders warned that such coercive measures, executed without formal legislative alignment, pose severe risks to commercial operations, government revenue generation, and broader national economic stability.
Representatives from the beverage and packaging sectors highlighted that a blanket prohibition on PET packaging is scientifically unsupported and environmentally counterproductive, conflicting with globally recognized circular economy principles.
Local administrative authorities have commenced enforcement actions, sealing several retail outlets across the city, raising concerns among industry stakeholders.
Industry observers point out that PET is a lightweight, food-grade, and 100 percent recyclable material, actively collected, sorted, and repurposed into synthetic fibers, new packaging materials, and recycled bottles. A sudden ban could dismantle this active recycling ecosystem, risking the livelihoods of thousands of workers in the waste collection, sorting, and processing sectors.
The move could undermine recycling activities, increase environmental costs and adversely affect businesses.
OICCI, Chamber of Commerce and Industry
A blanket prohibition on PET packaging is scientifically unsupported, environmentally counterproductive, and inconsistent with globally recognized circular economy principles.
Industry representatives, Beverage and packaging sectors
