Islamabad: Romina Khurshid Alam, the Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change, today announced comprehensive measures being undertaken by the government in cooperation with provincial authorities to address the growing threat of plastic pollution and its impact on public health.

According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Khurshid Alam emphasized the importance of managing plastics throughout their lifecycle and reducing usage as part of a broader strategy to transition to a sustainable plastics economy. This initiative is particularly focused on mitigating the environmental accumulation of microplastics, which are increasingly recognized as a significant global environmental and public health issue.

Highlighting the findings of a recent study on Microplastic Human Dietary Uptake, Khurshid Alam noted that Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines are among the highest globally for dietary intake of microplastics. Meanwhile, countries such as China, Mongolia, and the United Kingdom are leading in terms of inhalation of microplastics. She proposed strategies like enhancing water management for surface water quality control to significantly reduce aquatic plastic debris and human exposure to microplastics.

Further, she suggested that replacing single-use polyolefin plastics with highly degradable alternatives could effectively reduce the release of microplastics, particularly from beverage packaging, marking a critical step towards containing this pervasive environmental challenge.