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Laws to shift responsibility for packaging on to producers
View(s):By Nidarshani Wickramasinghe
Laws will be introduced to make manufacturers take responsibility for polythene and plastic products, Environment Minister Dammika Patabendi told the Sunday Times.
The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) concept has already been included in the proposed amendments to the National Environment Act.
The draft Bill, approved by the Cabinet, is likely to be gazetted shortly, Mr Patabendi said. Public views will be sought before the Bill is tabled in Parliament.
“This has to be implemented step by step. We already incorporated the idea of EPR into the amended draft of the National Environment Act. In general, it has been practiced worldwide that the entity which produces any material shall also take responsibility for its disposal at the end of its lifespan or recycle it. This has not been properly executed in Sri Lanka. After the bill passes through Parliament, we will introduce legislation necessary for implementing EPR ideas in our country.’’
The Chairman of the Central Environment Authority (CEA), Professor Tilak Hewawasam, said that with the passage of the amended environmental Bill in Parliament, the legal framework will be strengthened.
He explained that while there were certain problems requiring quantifiable solutions, inadequacies in existing legislation had stopped proper solutions from being enforced. However, with the enactment of the new Bill, it would be feasible to incorporate effective legislation on the accountability of producers in the disposal of polythene.
“Generally, in Sri Lanka, everybody is of the opinion that polythene and plastic disposal, collection, and recycling are the concerns of the government and the CEA. In most of the developed countries, it is left to the producer,’’ he said.
He said although the Cabinet has approved the polythene ban in the Sri Pada area, the CEA does not have powers to impose a fine, or a tax on shopping bags. “However, we are presently discussing with the Treasury the possibility of levying such a tax.’’
Environment Deputy Minister Anton Jayakodi said the use of polythene in the Sri Pada area has reduced by about 50% following a ban on polythene. He said about 20 million polythene items were used daily in the area till recently.
“Sri Lanka, as a nation that faces increasing numbers of disasters, must give serious thought to reducing global warming as well as taking care of our environment. The Sri Pada region is a very sensitive area. Polythene even from the 1970s has been discovered embedded in the soil in Sri Pada now. Tons of polythene and plastic are left on top of this mountain every year. Currently, we do not allow pilgrims to take small PET bottles to the top. We only allow plastic water containers of more than a litre,” he said.
Mr Jayakodi clarified that it is not possible now to impose fines on devotees for entering the Sri Pada region carrying polythene material. This will be addressed next year. The CEA has proposed a number of measures since 2025 to limit the use of polythene and plastic material in the Sri Pada region as well.
The area is likely to be declared a zero-plastic zone.
Public awareness programmes will encourage pilgrims to refrain from carrying plastic items. The sale and carrying of plastic food wrappers, HDPE squeeze bags, sachets, thermoform or expanded polystyrene used for single use food containers, drinking straws and single use plates, cups, spoons, forks and knives are prohibited.
Moreover, pilgrims are not allowed to carry single-use plastic water bottles and beverage bottles of less than a litre.
Visitors will not be allowed to throw food, beverages, medicines, or any other commodity with polythene or plastic packaging inside the environmentally sensitive zones. Shop owners must collect and dispose of plastic waste arising from products they sell.
Measures will be taken to prevent pollution of water sources and waterways. Plastic waste generated during the construction and maintenance of shops should be removed from the highly sensitive Sri Pada zone, with final disposal being the responsibility of shop owners through local authorities.
Mr Jayakodi also said that under the special Gazette notice issued recently, vendors have been made liable to charge customers for shopping bags and should display prices on bills and in their business premises.
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