The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has banned the use of plastic bags at all airports across the country.

The directives come days after the CAA retracted its decision of making plastic wrapping – an extra layer of protection over the baggage – of all check-in luggage mandatory following social media outcry.

The move will also prohibit the plastic wrapping of food and cutlery served to passengers during flight, according to reports.

Meanwhile, Aviation Secretary Shahrukh Nusrat has directed the CAA to use paper and other environment friendly bags to promote the healthy atmosphere.

In addition to this, shops and restaurants at airport premises had also been ordered to prohibit the use of polythene bags.

The federal cabinet earlier this month had approved a ban on use of plastic bags in the limits of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). The Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) to ban plastic bags in the federal capital is scheduled to come into force from August 14.

The usage of non-degradable plastic is high in the country despite a ban on the manufacturing, purchasing and selling of non-degradable plastic bags.

According to a 2018 survey report of Environment Protection Department, as many as 55 billion plastic bags are used per year in Pakistan while the amount of plastic use is increasing by 15% each year.