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ISLAMABAD, Aug 12 (APP):Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Dr. Musadik Malik, has called for sweeping global reforms to address the plastic pollution crisis, warning that developing countries are being unfairly burdened by waste they did not produce.
Speaking at the Informal Ministerial Dialogue on “Investment Opportunities for a Circular Economy” during the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2) in Geneva, Dr. Malik highlighted stark inequalities in global consumption and waste disposal.
Wealthy nations, he said, use plastics “up to 20 times more” than many developing countries and then export low-value, contaminated, or non-recyclable waste under the guise of recycling. Without advanced facilities, this waste is often dumped in landfills, burned in communities, or pollutes waterways, harming air, soil, and public health.
“In Western Europe, the average person uses 150 kilograms of plastic annually, compared to just 7 kilograms in Pakistan,” he said. “Our people are paying the price for a problem they did not create. We cannot allow the plastic crisis to become yet another injustice for the Global South.”
Dr. Malik proposed two measures for inclusion in the Global Plastic Treaty. First, an Extended Consumer Responsibility framework would tie responsibility to consumption levels. Nations using over 100 kg of plastic per person annually would contribute to a Plastic Fund to finance recycling plants, sorting facilities, and waste management technology in affected developing countries.
Second, a Global Plastics Credit Market would reward developing nations for measurable recycling and waste reduction. High-consuming countries could buy credits to offset their impact, with proceeds invested in infrastructure upgrades, better waste collection, and safer, formal jobs for informal waste workers.
Framing the crisis as a matter of justice and sovereignty, Dr. Malik said Pakistan is ready to lead efforts toward a fairer global system. “We must ensure our children inherit rivers, land, and air free from the poisons of imported waste,” he said.
If adopted, his proposals could shift the financial and operational responsibility for plastic waste toward the countries most responsible for its production, empowering developing nations to build cleaner, more sustainable economies.