The Collect & Recycle (CoRe) Alliance called for a harmonized, phased and inclusive Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework to strengthen Pakistan’s waste management and recycling systems and advance the country’s transition towards a circular economy.
Alongside the policy dialogue, CoRe Alliance handed over 5,000 co-branded reusable tote bags to the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) as part of its efforts to promote sustainable alternatives and reduce reliance on single-use plastics in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). The initiative supports the implementation of the Single-Use Plastics (Prohibition) Regulations, 2023, applicable to ICT.
Dr. Shezra Mansab Ali Khan Kharal, Minister of State for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Government of Pakistan, delivered the opening remarks and stated, “Pakistan’s transition towards a circular economy requires collective action and strong collaboration between government and industry. Effective EPR implementation can strengthen waste management and recycling systems, promote responsible resource management and help establish better systems in Pakistan.”
Sheikh Waqar Ahmad, CEO, CoRe Alliance, stated: “Building a circular economy requires both enabling policy frameworks and practical action. We need to emphasize on greater industry participation, tax incentives and easier access to financing to attract private investment in recycling infrastructure. Alongside these policy efforts, the distribution of 5,000 reusable tote bags reflects CoRe Alliance’s commitment to strengthening Pakistan’s waste management systems, promoting responsible consumption and advancing sustainable packaging through collective action.”
The session featured remarks by Amir Mohyuddin, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC), followed by a panel discussion featuring Zainab Naeem, Research Fellow, SDPI; Babar Aziz Bhatti, CEO, Green Earth Recycling and Chairperson, EPR Committee, CoRe Alliance; and Zia Hyder, CEO, SPEL Group and Board Director, CoRe Alliance.
Amir Mohyuddin, Additional Secretary, MOCC&EC, also addressed the session, stating, “A harmonized and phased approach, supported by clear responsibilities and coordinated stakeholder efforts, is essential to strengthening better systems in Pakistan.”
The session focused on the need for a nationwide EPR framework, improved waste segregation, stronger recycling infrastructure and greater public-private collaboration to address better systems in Pakistan. CoRe Alliance’s White Paper, previously presented and submitted to the Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination in May 2026. During the session, Namwar Yusuf Rahman, Project Manager, CoRe Alliance, presented a summary of the White Paper, outlining its key recommendations and harmonized approach that promotes regulatory consistency while accommodating provincial and local realities.
Furthermore, Babar Aziz Bhatti, CEO, Green Earth Recycling and Chairperson, EPR Committee, CoRe Alliance highlighted that, “The recycling sector’s capacity to process significant volumes of recyclable material, emphasizing that proper waste segregation is essential to reducing processing costs and improving the quality of recycled products.”
Discussions covered phased targets, shared value-chain responsibilities, industry-led Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) under regulatory oversight, green financing, recycling infrastructure, digital traceability and the integration of informal waste workers.
As part of the broader engagement, CoRe Alliance, in collaboration with Pak-EPA, presented 5,000 co-branded reusable tote bags to Dr. Shezra Mansab Ali Khan Kharal. Separately, a reusable tote bag handover ceremony was held a day earlier at the Pak-EPA office in Islamabad, where 5,000 co-branded reusable tote bags were handed over to Pak-EPA in the presence of Dr. Mohsina Zubair and Dr. Zaigham Abbas, Directors (Lab/NEQS), Pak-EPA.
Both engagements took place on 5 November 2026, as part of the 29th Sustainable Development Conference, organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in collaboration with CoRe Alliance at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Islamabad. The engagements brought together government representatives, industry stakeholders and other partners under the theme “From Policy to Practice: Strengthening Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Better Systems in Pakistan” and the “Reusable Tote Bag Ceremony.”
