Polythene ban impracticable - CEA Head

Shirley Wijesinghe

Banning polythene has become impracticable as no successful alternative is found, Central Environmental Authority (CEA) Chairman Charitha Herath told the Daily News yesterday.

He said the CEA has taken an initiative with stakeholders to introduce measures to minimize negative impact on the environment and human health due to thin polythene.

Herath said the Post Consumer Plastic and Polythene Waste Management Unit (PCPPWMU) had been established attached to the CEA. Further a cess tax on imported raw material has been imposed.

The PCPPWMU will promote re-using, recycling and introducing biodegradable substitutes for plastic and polythene with special means to mitigate the environmental impact.

The CEA will monitor the disposal of plastic and polythene waste to the environment with special attention to control polythene grocery bags and lunch sheets which are mostly used haphazardly, he said.

A CEA survey has revealed that over 70 percent of the total out put of plastic and polythene production is disposed to the environment creating threat to the biosphere, Herath said.

He said the importation of raw material for polythene products were drastically reduced by three fourths waste material recycled was doubled and tendency of the people to use alternative products were increased by roughly 45 percent after imposing the regulation to ban manufacture of polythene products of 20 (micrometers) or below in thickness from January 1, 2007.

A supporting regulation was also gazetted under the provisions of the Consumer Affairs Authority Act No 09 of 2003 by Gazette numbered 1588/18 and dated February 11, 2009. According to the Act, the name and address of the manufacturer, date of manufacture, Generic name of the product and Number of Environmental Protection Licence and other manufacturing details should be labeled on the packet or bundle of polythene food wrappers and garbage bag August 15, 2009.

Consumers as well as traders should ensure that the polythene products are properly labeled before purchase.