Plastic recycling to save millions
Ramani Kangaraarachchi
Over Rs. 32 million worth of foreign exchange could be saved for the
country annually by implementing the National Post Consumer Plastic
Waste Management Project (NPCPWMP) while generating a large number of
employment opportunities, Chairman Central Environmental Authority Udaya
Gammanpila said.
He said in 40 year's time there won't be any fossil to manufacture
plastic goods and the country will have to manage this situation through
recycling used plastics.
The prices of plastic will go up to the level of teak prices in the
future, he said addressing the participants at an awareness program on
NPCPWM Project at the Central Environmental Authority Auditorium in
Battaramulla.
Sri Lanka imports 160,000 metric tons of plastic raw material and
finished products each year and a major portion of them remain as Post
Consumer Plastic Waste which causes severe environmental problems.
The objective of the project is to address the behavioural change
necessary among the Sri Lankan consumers to ensure proper disposal of
plastic waste and to put in place the logistics to enable the collection
and recycling of post consumer plastic waste which will generate
employment opportunities in recycling plants and foreign exchange
savings to the country.
This programme was launched two months ago and currently it covers
households in 31 local authorities in Colombo and Gampaha districts.
There will be collection centres and warehouses in every local authority
to maintain a smooth network of collectors of plastic waste from
households and recyclers in the area will be informed about the plastic
waste available in the warehouses.
It is expected to reduce the imports of plastic raw material by 20
per cent at the completion of the first year of the project.
The Central Environmental Authority has planned to share the
knowledge of international expertise for recycling through technology
transfer and cost effective methods that would be introduced for
recyclers.
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