“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”  ­­

–  Anne Marie Bonneau

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According to a report published in 2019 by the International Trade Administration, Pakistan generates 48.5 million tons of waste every year. The Government of Pakistan (GOP) estimated that 87,000 tons of solid waste is generated every day, mostly from major metropolitan cities. Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, generates more than 13,500 tons of waste daily. Unfortunately, like many developing countries, Pakistan lacks proper waste management infrastructure, which has led to serious environmental problems like air pollution, contaminated water, deforestation, ozone layer depletion, etc. The problem lies in the way we get rid of our waste, which is by burning it or dumping/burying it in empty land. Pakistan is facing enormous challenges on how to manage its waste. Lack of planning, inadequate equipment and less public awareness has added to the burden of solving our waste crisis.
Keeping in mind, the government is working to solve the problem by adopting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aim to ensure access to clean water, proper sanitation, access to affordable, reliable and renewable energy and making cities safe, resilient, sustainable and free from pollution/waste. Unfortunately, SDGs cannot be achieved unless waste management is addressed as a priority in Pakistan. The question is, how can we achieve our goals without finding a solution to our waste  problem? The answer is Zero Waste Management by implementing five ‘R’s: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle.

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Zero waste refers to minimizing waste by reducing the unnecessary use of materials, particularly those items that cannot be recycled. This encourages organizations to build products that can be recycled and are easily disposable. It aims to recycling, minimizing waste, reducing consumption and ensuring that products can be reused, repaired or recycled. 
With the help of five ‘R’s and zero waste management, Pakistan can play its part in slowing down climate change, conserving resources and minimizing waste. 

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United States Environmental Protection Agency estimated that 42% of all greenhouse gas emissions are generated during the production and use of goods, including food products, and their packaging. Reducing, reusing and recycling will not only conserve energy used but will dramatically reduce carbon emissions as well. With the help of zero waste management, Pakistan can conserve its natural resources and reduce pollution from extraction, manufacturing and disposal. Reducing and reusing will lead to less production  and recycling will keep the waste out of empty land. This will also protect our health. Implementation of zero waste management is crucial for a cleaner Pakistan. We as a community need to regularize the concept of zero waste management all over the country; we need to transform and change our ways today so that we can save our country’s future. HH

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