Overview
- EPA Punjab ordered all commercial centres, shopping malls, plazas, offices and educational institutions to install the five-bin system with immediate effect.
- Required containers cover paper (yellow), glass (green), organic waste (grey), metal (red) and plastic (orange) and must be placed at visible locations.
- Enforcement teams are conducting checks and will issue warnings followed by legal action under the Punjab Environmental Protection Act for violations, the agency said.
- Officials, including DG Imran Hamid Sheikh, warn of immediate penalties for non-compliance, including sealing of premises or prosecution under environmental laws with a zero-tolerance approach.
- Authorities say source segregation will curb open burning, improve recycling and help ease hazardous winter smog in cities such as Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Multan, with workshops and awareness campaigns planned under the Clean and Green Punjab initiative and linked SDG goals.