Plastic book cover law faces delay as senate demands immediate action

The implementation of Islamabad's law banning plastic book covers has run into delays, with the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change

Islamabad:  The implementation of Islamabad’s law banning plastic book covers has run into delays, with the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change questioning why rules have not yet been completed and calling for the removal of a disputed clause that allows certain levels of plastic.

The committee reviewed progress on the Islamabad Capital Territory Prohibitions of Plastic Book Covers Act, 2026, and discussed the continued use of plastic covers by bookstores despite the legislation. The chairperson, Senator Sherry Rehman, said the law was meant to reduce unnecessary plastic use and pollution.

During the meeting, officials informed the committee that rules for implementing the law were still being prepared. The ministry representative said a timeline had been prepared and that the rules and an amendment were being worked on. The chairperson pressed officials to complete the amendment quickly and said she expected the proposed change within a short period.

The main dispute centred on a clause that allows certain plastic material to remain acceptable under specified conditions. The chairperson argued that the exception could create a loophole and make the law difficult to enforce. She called for the clause to be removed and said books could instead be covered with brown paper where a cover is needed.

The committee was also told that some book stores were continuing to use plastic covers. Officials referred to claims based on laboratory testing of the material, but the chairperson questioned how authorities would practically check the plastic used on a very large number of books.

Officials also raised a wider concern about plastic waste. He told the committee that recyclable plastic was being restricted in some areas while many non recyclable plastic products, including several types of multilayer packaging, remained in use. He referred to items such as diapers, sanitary products and confectionery wrappers as examples of materials that are difficult to recycle.

The committee also heard that only about nine percent of plastic is recycled globally, according to figures cited by Senator Sherry Rehman. She questioned whether claims about recyclable plastic were being matched by actual recycling facilities and asked where collection and recycling centres were available.

The chairperson said plastic book covers were an unnecessary extra layer and argued that Pakistan had used brown paper for books in the past. She also connected the continued use and disposal of plastic with blocked drains and urban pollution, while the committee called for stronger implementation and coordination among the authorities responsible for enforcing the law.

The committee also heard about the difficulty faced by young startups trying to develop low cost alternatives to plastic. The chairperson said some promising biodegradable alternatives developed by students had failed to move beyond the early project stage and argued that stronger support was needed for such ideas to reach the market.