Business groups have asked the federal government to pull a proposed ban on recyclable PET bottles in Islamabad, warning it could damage investment and the nation's recycling industry.
The American Business Forum appealed to the interior minister to scrap the proposal and to enforce the ICT Single-Use Plastics Regulations, 2023.
The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Collect and Recycle Alliance each wrote to the finance, investment and climate change ministers, saying the ban might affect foreign investment and the circular economy.
In a letter to the investment minister, the CoRe Alliance urged the withdrawal of the proposal, enforcement of existing rules and a predictable environment for businesses and investors.
The groups noted that international frameworks such as the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation focus on recyclability, collection, recycling systems and extended producer responsibility, not blanket bans on recyclable PET beverage packaging.
They added that ICT regulations do not forbid PET bottles, which they described as food-grade, recyclable and supported by an established collection and recycling value chain.
CoRe warned that substituting PET with glass or aluminium would not automatically improve environmental outcomes, as heavier packaging can raise transport emissions and other materials may need more energy to produce.
The business bodies said the focus should be on better waste segregation, collection and recycling, including producer-funded systems, recovery targets and investment in recycling infrastructure.
They also raised concerns about reported enforcement actions against retailers in Islamabad, including the sealing of several outlets, and said they had found no notification from the Capital Development Authority or the Ministry of Interior banning PET bottles, maintaining that PET packaging remains permitted under current regulations.
