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Environmental Consequences of Food Packaging Disposal in Urban Pakistan: A Case Study of Multan
Nimra Fayaz, Faiza Rao, Sobia Aslam, Rabbia Amin, Umaima Maryam
Abstract:
Packaging waste forms a major share of global municipal solid waste, posing a serious concern in developing nations where waste management infrastructure remains underdeveloped. This study examined food-packaging waste generation across educational, commercial, public, residential, and canal-side sites in Multan, Pakistan. Data was collected over four months (February–May 2022), spanning three seasons: pre-Ramadan, Ramadan, and Eid al-Fitr. Through repeated site visits, researchers recorded package counts and disposal events, yielding 348 balanced observations analysed using generalised linear models for repeated-measures count data. The results paint a bleak picture: packaging was almost entirely non-biodegradable, dominated by LDPE bags and Styrofoam containers, with no biodegradable or eco-labelled alternatives found at any site. Waste volumes varied significantly by month, rising 32% above February's baseline just before Ramadan and 47% during Ramadan itself, before declining after Eid. Notably, while quantities shifted seasonally, disposal methods remained consistent throughout. The dominant methods were open burning (releasing dioxins, furans, and PAHs), canal dumping (driving microplastic pollution), and land dumping (degrading soil and threatening agricultural productivity). The study situates Multan within Pakistan's wider urban landscape, comparing it with Abbottabad, Karachi, and Islamabad, and links findings to SDGs 3, 11, and 12. Its key contribution lies in connecting religious-seasonal patterns to packaging waste, a link rarely explored in Pakistani research. Proposed solutions include a province-wide plastics ban, mandatory environmental labelling, investment in biodegradable alternatives, and mosque-led awareness campaigns leveraging Ramadan's communal spirit.
Keywords:
Food packaging; environmental pollution; plastic waste; Multan; Ramadan; solid waste management; Pakistan; biodegradable materials; SDGs; open burning
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