Lahore Launches ‘Green Credit’ Scheme to Combat Plastic Waste, Earn Rs. 1000 per KG of Plastic Now
In a significant step toward sustainable urban waste management, a new “Green Credit” initiative was launched in Lahore on Monday, offering financial rewards to citizens who recycle plastic bottles through Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs). The program aims to address the city’s growing plastic pollution problem by turning waste into an economic opportunity.
Launched under Punjab’s Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Credit Program, the project is spearheaded by ISP Environmental Solutions with support from Intratech Group and the World Bank. It allows residents to earn up to Rs1,000 in green credit per kilogram of plastic deposited—equivalent to around 20 one-and-a-half litre bottles.
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Lahore generates approximately 500 tons of plastic waste daily, much of which ends up in landfills or clogs water channels. Intratech Group Chairperson Gulfam Abid highlighted the environmental urgency and the potential of the new RVMs to collect single-use plastic items like bottles, cups, and plates for reuse in producing eco-friendly materials such as bricks, footpaths, and road patchwork.
Each locally manufactured RVM, built with Chinese technology at a cost of Rs800,000, can store up to 25 kilograms of plastic. The machines are equipped with sensors to filter out non-plastic items. To use the RVM, citizens insert plastic items, press designated buttons, enter their mobile number, and receive immediate confirmation of their earned credit via screen and a mobile app.
The app further connects users with over 18,000 onboarded scrap dealers, enabling doorstep collection and sale of recyclable plastic. Dealers also benefit from green credits alongside their traditional earnings, strengthening grassroots participation in the recycling ecosystem.
Currently, four RVMs are being installed in private universities in Lahore as part of the initial rollout. Plans are in place to extend the program to public areas across the city.
An Eco Bricks Plant has also been established in Lahore’s Sundar Industrial Estate to convert the collected plastic into durable construction materials. The facility is scheduled for inauguration in July.
Officials involved in the project stressed that the initiative’s long-term goal is to reshape public attitudes toward plastic waste. “We want citizens to see plastic not as trash, but as a reusable asset that holds both environmental and economic value,” a spokesperson said.
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