Faisalabad authorities have expanded a crackdown on banned single-use plastic bags, targeting not only manufacturers but also wholesalers, retailers, street vendors, transporters and hidden storage facilities.
The Environment Protection Department (EPD) said the campaign was aimed at disrupting the supply chain that continues to bring banned plastic bags into local markets despite restrictions on their production.
EPD Deputy Director Usman Azhar said the use of single-use plastic shopping bags had been made a top enforcement priority.
Around 14 tonnes of banned plastic material have been seized across Faisalabad since last year, while authorities have imposed and recovered nearly Rs2 million in fines from those violating the ban, officials said.
The department has also registered about 50 first information reports (FIRs) over alleged violations.
Azhar said enforcement teams had faced resistance during several operations. One EPD official was critically injured while taking part in raids against banned plastic bags, he added.
“Our objective is to ensure that markets are completely free of shopping bags with a thickness of less than 75 microns,” Azhar said.
Officials said the latest strategy was designed to target the entire distribution network rather than focusing solely on factories. The move is intended to prevent banned bags from reaching retailers and consumers through alternative supply channels.
The crackdown comes as authorities seek to strengthen enforcement of restrictions on single-use plastic bags and reduce their circulation in Faisalabad’s markets.
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