Tackling Plastic Pollution in Pakistan: A Design Brief for Our Mega Project!
Plastic waste is a major environmental problem in Pakistan, and waste management is poorly managed. According to the Ministry of Climate Change, plastic waste is the second largest share in municipal solid waste (MSW), generating 49.6 million tonnes of plastic waste annually in addition to Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, making 2,500 tons of plastic waste per day. This plastic waste not only pollutes the environment but also harms marine life and human life.
As a result, our team ‘Nishan-E-Amal’ is working on developing a large-scale plastic waste management project targeting HDPE and PET plastic (plastic bottles), which can be recycled and turned into plastic pellets, ending up again in plastic each component in the manufacture of the HDPEs & PETs.
The problem we are trying to solve is the mismanagement of waste, specifically plastic waste. Plastic waste is a major global environmental challenge, with only 9% being recycled. Plastic waste leaks in the aquatic environment have resulted in nearly 30 million pieces of plastic waste in the seas and oceans, and another 109 million tonnes in rivers Despite the global plastic consumption of recycled materials the role has quadrupled to just 6% of total plastics production. According to a World Bank report, global solid waste production is expected to increase by 70% between 2016 and 2050, highlighting the urgent need for waste management solutions The need for waste generation sustainable management in general, especially for plastic waste. By targeting and persuading the audience for this cause, we can make a significant impact and help create a greener, more sustainable environment.
To address this problem, we conducted in-depth research to understand the root cause of the problem, the affected people, and their demographics. We used various online research methods to read interviews of the focused groups working here. We also conducted a literature review of waste management experts.
To better understand our target audience, we created three study personas based on our research.
- Uninformed citizen: This persona represents people who are unaware of the impact of plastic waste on the environment and are unaware of the importance of proper waste management.
- Concerned Citizen: This persona represents people who are aware of the problem and are concerned about the impact of plastic waste on the environment but due to lack of knowledge and resources they don’t know how to do it.
- Environmentally Conscious Citizen: This identity represents people who are committed to reducing their carbon footprint and actively seek environmentally friendly solutions.
Our concept of a waste management service focusing primarily on plastics could profitably reach a broader audience, including,
Environmentally friendly consumers: who want to reduce their plastic waste, this audience includes people who are interested in reducing and adopting their carbon footprint.
Cities and local governments: These companies can use our waste management strategy to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated in their communities. According to a 2018 global survey by Nielsen, 81% of respondents strongly believe that companies should contribute to improving the environment.
Plastics industry businesses: Companies that produce or use plastics acquire leveraging our actions by reducing environmental impact. In a 2019 Accenture survey of global CEOs, 62% agreed that businesses should be ahead in solving environmental problems.
Waste Management Companies: These companies can incorporate our idea into their operations to make their waste management operations more efficient and effective.
From our research, we have learned that plastic waste has a significant impact on the environment and needs to be managed properly. Most people around us are aware of the harmful effects of plastic waste but do not have the resources to recycle it. Our target population consists of people from low-income households who do not have access to waste management. They are the worst affected by the crisis and need sustainable solutions to deal with plastic waste.
Also, we concluded that the key to managing plastic waste in Pakistan is to find sustainable ways to properly manage waste and educate the public about its negative impact on the environment.
For this purpose apart from building social media presence on Instagram and Facebook to share our progress and raise awareness about our idea related to plastic pollution in Pakistan, we are also determined to set up our own website. Our goal is to expand our reach to a global audience and connect with like-minded individuals and organizations to achieve our mission of reducing plastic waste in our country. We believe that by leveraging technology and social media platforms, we can have a greater impact and create positive change.
Our action plan is to create a sample prototype of the idea as evidence for the final pitch. We will execute our idea on an individual level by manually targeting specifically PET Plastics starting from their collecting and sorting of PET plastic (plastic bottles). The collected plastic bottles will then be recycled by undergoing multiple processes including sorting, shredding, and then cleaning after undergoing melting to transform into plastic pellets, which can be further converted into various plastic PET products.
Plastic waste is a major environmental challenge globally, and Pakistan is no exception. By recycling plastic bottles. With the support of government and other stakeholders, we can make a significant impact and create a cleaner, healthier environment for ourselves and future generations.
Best Regards,
Muhammad Usman Karim
Circle Leader | Circle# 04 (‘Nishan- E-Amal’)
Batch 273