A bolt from the blue for retailers: CDA bans sale of products packaged in PET bottles

Retail outlets and FMCG companies in Islamabad are reported to be confused by an order that stops the sale of goods in PET bottles at shops in the Islamabad Capital Territory. According to Business Recorder, the directive came as verbal instructions from the office of the chief commissioner and the CDA chairman, and it was enforced without any warning or notification. Local authorities have already begun enforcement, with several retail outlets across the city sealed.

The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry wrote to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi seeking withdrawal of the proposed prohibition. It argued that the measure could weaken recycling, raise environmental costs and harm businesses, and proposed stronger waste collection and producer-funded recycling instead. Separately, the CoRe Alliance asked the Board of Investment to step in and ensure proper enforcement of the ICT Single-Use Plastics Regulations, 2023.

Industry experts and business leaders have cautioned that enforcement without formal legislative backing could hurt commercial operations and government revenue. PET is described as a lightweight, food-grade and fully recyclable material, supported by an established collection and processing chain in Pakistan. A sudden ban could disrupt that recycling ecosystem and put the livelihoods of thousands of workers in waste collection, sorting and processing at risk.