The Sindh province of Pakistan, which includes Karachi, implemented a total ban on plastic bags to help curb pollution.

According to Daily Ausaf, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab was pleased with the ban because the plastic bags have blocked drains and sewers.

The article explained that, after months of awareness, there will be a no-tolerance policy for bag manufacturing and distribution. Violations could result in fines, arrests, and factory closures.

Sindh Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development Secretary Agha Shahnawaz Khan stated that "there will be no leniency" on these new rules, as Daily Ausaf reported.

In a seminar, University of Karachi professor Samina Saeed said that reducing plastic use is "a moral and social obligation," per Biz Today International.

Plastic bag bans have many negative impacts on people and the environment. Dumpsters.com explained that when plastic enters the ocean, sea life can consume it, which affects the quality of the food humans eat. And, of course, it causes harm to the animals.

Additionally, plastic bags can take hundreds of years to break down, which diminishes the natural beauty of the planet.

Plus, manufacturing plastic bags requires the mining of crude oil, which can harm ecosystems, result in oil spills, and consume a lot of water, as the U.S. Energy Information Administration detailed.

Reducing plastic bag use can help keep streets and sewers clean and mitigate pollution from production. Many communities have implemented similar policies for everything from plastic bags to new homes to invasive plants.

With that said, plastic bag bans are not without their critics. Some people point out that the manufacturing process of reusable bags can create more pollution than producing plastic ones.

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Additionally, a 2021 study stated that manufacturing costs for other materials are usually higher, which could be passed on to consumers.

Other people like to use plastic bags for household trash and may need to find alternatives, per Chicago Booth Review.

But despite these challenges, plastic bag bans are a positive development for people and the planet. And citizens are quick to adapt.

Commenters on a Reddit post about Canada's plastic bag ban had a lot of good things to share.

"[In Australia, I] don't see them in gutters or anywhere now," one explained.

Another stated, "I'm glad they're gone — I see far fewer of them blowing around outside."

Summing up the issue, a third commenter said, "[Banning] plastic bags and straws [is] a start, but more needs to be done for sure."

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