Lahore has missed its June 2026 deadline to become plastic free, with substandard plastic bags still openly sold and used across the city markets despite an official ban.
Multiple shops and bazaars continue to stock and sell banned plastic shopping bags, even as authorities had set June 2026 as the cutoff for eliminating plastic from the city.
Citizens say weak enforcement has allowed plastic bag use to remain a routine part of daily commerce.
The anti plastic bag campaign was formally launched in 2024, aimed at curbing environmental pollution and reducing reliance on plastic products. Despite the set target, the drive has failed to make Lahore fully plastic free.
Experts say achieving the intended results will remain difficult without effective monitoring of plastic bag manufacturing, sale, and use, paired with strict enforcement of the ban.
The continued availability of substandard plastic bags has also raised questions about how effectively the government campaign and the ban itself are being implemented.
