Plastic waste is a growing issue worldwide. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, a truck-load of plastic waste enters the ocean every minute that we spend on this planet.
Recent studies suggest that Sri Lanka generates about 938 metric tonnes (MT) of plastic waste every single day. The same study has revealed that about 300 MT of this gets collected daily by the local authorities, with a large majority of plastic waste being openly and illegally dumped. In addition, only 38 MT of this plastic had been recovered for recycling. At present, uncollected waste is estimated to account for 638 MT per day, of which, about 140 MT per day is self-disposed and 419 MT openly and illegally burnt in individual premises.
Plastic pollution has far-reaching environmental consequences, affecting ecosystems, wildlife, and more particularly, human health.
Microplastics contamination
Plastics are made from a complex combination of chemicals, including additives that give them strength and flexibility. Both plastics and chemical additives can be toxic. Over time, plastic breaks down into tiny particles called microplastics. These infiltrate water sources, soil, and even the food chain, posing risks to both animals and humans. Studies have found microplastics in fish, drinking water, and even human blood. In 2022, scientists from The Netherlands and the United Kingdom announced that they had found tiny plastic particles in living humans, in two places where they had not been seen before – deep inside the lungs of surgical patients, and in the blood of anonymous donors.
A biochemist at the Utah State University of the United States, who studies how dust transports nutrients, pathogens, and contaminants, Janice Brahney says that she is concerned because plastic production continues to increase dramatically, while so much about microplastics remains unknown. In 2020, 367 million MT of plastics were manufactured, an amount that is forecast to triple by 2050. “It is alarming because we are far into this problem and we still don’t understand the consequences, and it is going to be very difficult to back out of it if we have to,” she says.
It is said that the manufacturing process of plastics involves over 16,000 different chemicals, with more than 4,200 classified as hazardous to human health and environmental safety.
Research has revealed that individuals with higher concentrations of microplastics in their arterial plaque face nearly five times the risk of heart attack or stroke compared to those with lower levels.
The presence of plastic particles in blood vessels triggers chronic inflammatory responses that damage arterial walls and promote the formation of dangerous plaques.
Harmful effects on nature
According to the World Wildlife Fund, right now, there are 150 million MT of plastic in our oceans – and we are releasing an additional eight million MT each year. Plastic pollution exists almost everywhere in the ocean, from the remote seas of the Arctic to the floor of the deep sea.
Sea turtles mistakenly eat plastic bags that they confuse with jellyfish. Sea birds, whales, dolphins, and other marine animals often turn up dead with stomachs full of plastic or get caught in abandoned plastic fishing nets. Even land animals are now forced to live among plastic pollution.
Plastic production and disposal contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. The incineration of plastic waste releases toxic pollutants into the air, further exacerbating global warming.
The improper disposal of plastic waste clogs drainage systems, exacerbating flooding, particularly in urban areas. Mosquito outbreaks such as dengue and chikungunya are directly connected with poor urban drainage systems.
Will SL tackle plastic pollution?
The Ministry of Environment (MoE), in 2021, developed the ‘National Action Plan on Plastic Waste Management (2021-2030)’ to address this crisis, encouraging policies based on the ‘Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle (3R)’ principles.
According to the action plan, Sri Lanka currently imports virgin plastic raw materials for varying applications which amount to 300,000 MT/annum. Municipal solid waste generation of all solid waste is currently around 10,768 MT per day and collection by local authorities is only 3,458 MT per day, in which over 50% of uncollected waste, containing valuable plastics, goes to open dumps and the surrounding environment. The inflow of plastic packaging including unaccounted packaging of other goods is increasing. Polythene bags and large amounts of single use plastics have become a key issue.
It is to be noted that the primary objective of the said action plan is to assist in achieving the National Waste Management policy’s vision – enabling a “Healthy Life and Cleaner Environment For All”. Among other secondary objectives, it is important to highlight the need to make all citizens and institutions aware of the need to understand their legal and constitutional responsibility of engaging in plastic waste management.
According to Article 28(f) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka, every citizen has an inseparable performance of fundamental duty to protect the nature and conserve its riches. This means that every citizen is required to safeguard the environment and its natural resources for current and more importantly, for future generations. It involves taking action to preserve ecosystems, the wildlife, and biodiversity, while ensuring that resources such as forests, water, and minerals are used sustainably. Citizen responsibility to reduce pollution by reducing the use of plastic waste must play a major role in this regard as plastic pollution is interconnected to our lifestyle. Citizens must pay conscious attention to their daily activities to understand how much plastic they release to the environment and take effective effort to reduce.
On the other hand, institutions at the national level such as the MoE, the Central Environmental Authority (CEA), and the National Solid Waste Management Support Centre must play an active role in coordinating provincial, local and private parties such as district-level departments, municipal councils, urban councils, pradeshiya sabhas, and private waste management bodies to reduce plastic pollution as a means to fulfil the State pledge to protect, preserve and improve the environment for the benefit of the community as stipulated under Article 27(14) of the Constitution.
One must not forget that the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has already set judicial precedent in cases such as Ravindra Gunewardena Kariyawasam vs. CEA and Others (the Chunnakam Power Plant Case – 2019), highlighting that the failures of national-level environmental institutions could result in the breach of the fundamental rights of the people. This would mean that the citizens could seek relief from courts for the failure to fulfil statutory obligations by State institutions.
In order to make the action plan a reality, education plays a vital role in reducing plastic pollution by fostering awareness, changing behaviours, and empowering communities to take meaningful action.
A commendable effort was piloted in the Southern Province in 2022-2023 within three selected schools. Efforts were made to co-design the new environmental learning programme and associated education materials on plastic pollution by conducting a series of participatory workshops across the Galle Town in close collaboration with the relevant stakeholder groups represented by the respective expert committees. Although emerging sustainability topics have yet to be introduced into the Sri Lankan school curriculum, this project developed a Teacher Resource Book and complementary Student Workbook detailing opportunities to realise a plastic waste-free future.
Therefore, Sri Lanka must press on such initiatives to shape the present and future generations to adopt lifelong sustainable habits and inspire others to do the same. We must act now; individually and collectively. Reduce plastics coming to your home, think how you can reuse before you discard plastic, and ensure that all plastics reach recycling at the end of its lifespan.
(The writer is a lawyer, judicial officer and legal reformer in Sri Lanka, the Republic of Fiji and The Seychelles)
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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication