Industry groups oppose Islamabad's proposed ban on recyclable PET bottles
Business associations representing multinational companies in Pakistan have asked federal ministers to withdraw a proposed ban on PET bottles in the Islamabad Capital Territory, after the capital administration began raiding shops and, according to reports, sealed several outlets selling PET-packaged products. The American Business Forum, the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Collect and Recycle Alliance argue the ban contradicts the 2023 single-use plastics regulations, which place PET on the list of compliant plastic packaging.
Why this mattersEnforcement against PET in Islamabad, which the alliance says lacks any formal notification, leaves beverage and FMCG suppliers facing uncertain packaging rules in the capital.
- Retailers and FMCG companies in Islamabad were reportedly told, on the instructions of the Chief Commissioner and the CDA chairman, to stop selling PET-bottled products.
- The American Business Forum, OICCI and CoRe Alliance wrote to Pakistan's interior, finance, investment and climate change ministers seeking withdrawal of the ban.
- Various reports say enforcement has included sealing several retail outlets across Islamabad.
- The groups say PET is on the positive list under the ICT Single-Use Plastics (Prohibition) Regulations, 2023.
- According to the alliance, neither the Capital Development Authority nor the Ministry of Interior has issued a formal notification banning PET.
- The groups cite the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation as a model favouring recyclability and EPR over outright bans.