Many residents of Kabul say plastic bags have taken over daily life in the city. They argue that these bags harm the environment and that authorities should either stop or strictly limit their production and import into Afghanistan. According to residents, the low price and easy access to plastic bags and other plastic products have turned them into a serious environmental problem across the country. After use, people often throw these items away without proper management, which pollutes soil and water and causes damage to wildlife.
In interviews with the Hasht-e Subh Daily, residents point to the lack of an organized recycling system, low public awareness about the dangers of plastic, and weak enforcement of existing regulations as key reasons the crisis continues to grow. They believe public education and the promotion of environmentally friendly alternatives, such as paper and cloth bags, are urgently needed to stop the situation from worsening.
Ahmad, a resident of Kabul’s Qala-e Najara area, says plastic bags now surround every part of life in the city. He stresses that authorities and citizens must act quickly to reduce their use. Although replacing plastic bags across Afghanistan will take time, he believes it is possible.
“Plastic bags are everywhere,” he says. “Factories that produce them are now active inside Afghanistan. Even bakeries use plastic bags, even though everyone knows how harmful they are and how they can ruin bread. I know the dangers of plastic, so when I go to the market, I carry a cloth bag. Still, very few people use cloth or paper bags. Almost everything has become plastic, and it does not feel hopeful that a good alternative will appear anytime soon.”
Mujib, another resident of Kabul, says people should stop using plastic bags and products to protect both their health and the environment. He describes current efforts to reduce plastic use as weak and encourages people to switch to cloth bags instead.
“Plastic lasts a very long time in nature and does not break down,” he says. “Today, most buying and selling depends on plastic. Dry goods may be less harmful, but plastic is especially dangerous for vegetables and meat. This problem needs serious attention, and cloth and paper bags should replace plastic.”
As one of the largest cities in Afghanistan, Kabul faces a major challenge with waste left in open areas. Residents dump part of their garbage in nature and burn part of it in stoves to heat their homes, a practice that causes serious environmental damage.
Sakina, a Kabul resident, says plastic bags may have made urban life easier, but the city’s streets, canals, and markets remain full of plastic waste. In her view, this reality shows not only excessive plastic use but also the deeper environmental problems facing the city.
“Plastic bags make daily tasks easier,” she says, “but when they tear or wear out, people burn them and fill the air with polluted smoke, or they throw them away in nature.”
Hussain, another Kabul resident, says many people do not understand how harmful plastic is and use it mainly because it is cheap. “If there were an affordable alternative, why would we not use it?” he asks. “I always take a cloth bag to the market, but most people do not care. Media outlets and social networks need to raise awareness.”
At the same time, environmental experts are calling for strict control over plastic imports and production. They also suggest introducing green taxes to reduce plastic consumption.
Environmental expert Kazim Homayoun says no country in the 21st century has been able to completely stop plastic imports because plastic is part of everyday life. He explains that while it is impossible to eliminate plastic, sustainable economic policies and green taxes can significantly reduce its use.
“Plastic bags are a serious threat to the environment, especially to aquatic life,” Homayoun says. “They move from one place to another and become a mobile danger. If a country applies green taxes, it can reduce plastic imports and production, especially in Afghanistan, where we lack both recycling and reuse capacity.”
Another environmental expert, Sayed Mohammad Soleimankhail, says plastic not only damages the visual beauty of the environment but also pollutes water, soil, and air. “To protect the environment, authorities must strictly control plastic imports and production, raise taxes on plastic, and limit raw materials,” he says. “When plastic bags become more expensive, people will naturally use them less.”
Experts warn that plastic can remain in nature for 100 to 500 years before breaking down into microplastics. These tiny particles release dangerous chemicals into the soil and move through the food chain, posing serious risks to human health and the environment.
Plastic use in Afghanistan continues to rise, even though the country has no organized recycling program. Most plastic waste ends up buried with other garbage, while some is left scattered in nature.
Statistics show that Kabul produces more than 4,650 tons of waste every day, with plastic making up a large portion. Although exact figures for plastic waste are not available, field estimates indicate that single-use items such as bags, bottles, food containers, and artificial flowers account for a significant share.
The absence of recycling facilities, along with unscientific burning, improper burial, and uncontrolled dumping, has turned plastic waste into a “silent poison” that directly contaminates water, soil, food, and air.
The United Nations has also reported that more than 400 million tons of plastic are produced worldwide each year, a level that poses a serious threat to both the environment and human health.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
