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Ban on polythene, plastic postponed 

26 Dec 2021

  • CEA says ban will not be implemented from 1 Jan.
  • Hopes to provide grace period for stakeholders
  • Ban to come before Jan. 2023
By Yakuta Dawood  A ban on several polythene and plastic products, which was scheduled to be implemented from 1 January 2022 by the Central Environmental Authority (CEA), has now been postponed as the Cabinet has not yet granted approval to proceed with the implementation. Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, CEA Waste Management Division Director Sarojini Jayasekara stated that once approval is granted by the Cabinet, the authority will be able to proceed as planned without any further delay. “The ban will not be in effect from 1 January 2022 because we still have to give a grace period to the stakeholders. Therefore, before January 2023, the ban will be imposed in a bid to protect the environment from these products,” Jayasekara said. Accordingly, the new list items to be banned include artificial grass mats (except those used for indoor sports grounds); garlands; string hopper preparation trays (net); single-use drinking cups; plates, spoons, forks, and knives; drinking straws and stirrers; bags having dimensions of less than 10x5x16 inches (with handle) or 10x12 inches (without handle or gusset); and any plastic material used for the packing of incense sticks and wicks for any process, trade, or any industry. Adding further, Jayasekara requested that regardless of the ban being implemented or not, all stakeholders should be responsible towards the environment as the aforementioned products cause harm to society. “We don’t need to wait until the regulations are imposed, because these items are a nuisance to the environment. If we can voluntarily limit our overuse of plastic, it could be a good service for the environment and the future generations to come,” she emphasised. In August 2021, CEA Director General P.B. Hemantha Jayasinghe stated that a list pertaining to polythene and plastic products has been prepared, and required the approval of the Environment Minister and other related officials, after which it would be submitted to the Cabinet for approval. “Once the list is approved by the Minister, it will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval in finalising the list. We will have to give a grace period to stakeholders involved; however, it will hopefully be implemented by January 2022,” Jayasinghe explained. Meanwhile, with reference to the Centre for Environmental Justice report published in 2021, it stated that Sri Lanka generates 7,000 metric tonnes (MT) of solid waste per day, with the Western Province accounting for nearly 60% of waste generation. However, according to the report, around 500,000 MT of total plastic (raw material and articles made of plastic, furniture, and toys) is imported into Sri Lanka annually, of which about 70% is used locally.  Nevertheless, on a positive note, the report also noted that: “It has been estimated that Sri Lanka earns $ 2 million foreign exchange via imports and exports of plastics where imports make up around 160,000 MT of plastic raw materials (primary forms) and around 140,000 MT of finished goods along with intermediate products every year.  Furthermore, providing recommendations to the Government on curtailing the polythene and plastic problem in Sri Lanka, the report mentions the following:
  1. Introduce legislative mechanisms to track illegal plastic waste imports into Sri Lanka
  2. Pass regulations banning the manufacture, use, and import of single use plastics urgently
  3. Improve the accountability of plastic manufacturers and traders on the full life cycle impacts of their products including disposal at end of life
  4. Promote plastic free zones. For example; schools, government offices, hospitals etc.
  5. Improve law enforcement, and specifically the monitoring, compliance, and enforcement of laws and regulations related to the import, manufacture, and disposal of plastic in Sri Lanka
  6. Uphold the national waste management policy
  7. Improve political and full government, cross-agency, education, and commitment towards minimising plastic usage


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