Toxic smog chokes Pakistan and shuts cities

By Kelly Ng & Tarhub Asghar

in Singapore and Islamabad BBC NEWS 10 November, 2023
Toxic smog in eastern Pakistan has made thousands of people sick, forcing authorities to shut
some cities for the rest of the week.
Smog in the country's second-largest city Lahore has risen to dangerous levels.
The Punjab provincial government has ordered that schools, offices, malls and parks in three cities,
including Lahore, be closed until Sunday.
Pakistan's Punjab province borders the Indian state of the same name.
Over the past few days, Lahore's Air Quality Index - which measures the level of fine particulate
matter in the air - have hovered around the 400 mark. AQI levels at or below 100 are generally
thought of as satisfactory. Lahore borders the Indian city of Amritsar.
North India is also suffering from the impact of toxic smog.
Air pollution in the Indian capital Delhi has risen to alarming levels. On Tuesday, the air quality
index for the Indian capital hit 300 on 7 November, nearly reaching the hazardous levels of 301-
500.
Some Lahore residents told BBC Urdu that the noxious atmosphere is a frequent affair that has
severely affected their health and other daily activities.
"It feels like this poisonous atmosphere has become a part of our lives," said salesman Ameer
Hamza, whose work requires him to be out and about on a motorcycle for much of the day.
"I go to various points to market products and when I go home after a long day, my eyes are red and
irritated due to air pollution. And then my work is affected due to me being sick very often. Right
now, I am nursing a cold, sore throat, and cough," he said.
Sarah Zeeshan said her one-and-half-year-old daughter has found it difficult to eat and drink as the
smog has led to blisters forming all around her mouth.
Persistent exposure to smog can lead to longer-term health damage, including causing lung cancer.
Some experts believe the burning of crop residue to prepare for the winter planting season is a key
cause of the air pollution.
Pakistan said last week that it will raise the issue with Indian authorities at a diplomatic level, local
media reported, without giving further details.
But experts have noted that just as in India, farmers in Pakistan also resort to stubble burning to
prepare for a new planting season.
Medical facilities, grocery stores and gas stations remain open in Punjab. Authorities have advised
residents to wear masks if they must go outside.
Environmentalist Rafi Alam said the government policies aimed at combating smog are "made only
in haste, which are of no use".
"Until you recognise a problem as a problem, how can you fix it? Will sprinkling water or closing
schools three days a week solve the smog problem?" he said.
According to the Air Quality Life Index produced by the University of Chicago, air pollution
shortens people's lives by almost seven years in Pakistan's most polluted regions, including Lahore.
Coca-Cola and Nestle accused of misleading eco claims
By Theo Leggett & Nick Edser -BBC News 7 November, 2023
Coca-Cola, Danone and Nestle have been accused of making misleading claims about their
plastic water bottles being "100% recycled".
A consumer body and two environmental groups have issued a legal complaint to the European
Commission over the alleged greenwashing.
They argue that the bottles are never made wholly of recycled materials.
Coca-Cola said its packaging messages can be substantiated, while Danone said it is investing in
recycling.
Nestle has yet to comment.
Companies are accused of greenwashing when they brand something as more eco-friendly, green or
sustainable than it really is. It can mislead consumers who hope to help the planet by choosing those
products.
The complaint to the European Commission focuses on claims by the companies that the single-use
plastic water bottles they supply are either 100% recycled, or 100% recyclable.
The European Consumer Organisation, backed by the environmental groups Client Earth and
ECOS, said this is misleading, particularly when accompanied by green imagery or branding.
They insist the bottles are never made wholly of recycled materials, and the ability to recycle them
depends on a number of factors, including the available infrastructure.
"The evidence is clear - plastic water bottles are simply not recycled again and again to become new
bottles in Europe," said Rosa Pritchard, plastics lawyer at ClientEarth.
"A '100%' recycling rate for bottles is technically not possible and, just because bottles are made
with recycled plastic, does not mean they don't harm people and planet." "It is important companies
don't portray recycling as a silver bullet to the plastic crisis - instead they need to focus efforts on
reducing plastic at source."
In response, Coca-Cola said it was "working to reduce the amount of plastic packaging we use, and
we're investing to collect and recycle the equivalent of the packaging we use".
"We only communicate messages on our packaging that can be substantiated, with any relevant
qualifications clearly displayed to enable consumers to make informed choices," it said.
"Some of our packaging carries messages to drive recycling awareness, including whether our
packages are recyclable and if they are made from recycled content."
In a statement, Danone said: "We strongly believe in the circularity of packaging - and will continue
to invest and lead the campaign for better collection and recycling infrastructure alongside our
partners."
If the European Commission agrees with the complaint, it can organise a co-ordinated response
among national consumer authorities, who can then take action.
This could involve asking the companies to rectify the situation, or imposing fines within their own
borders. The commission does not have the power to impose penalties of its own.