Statement from Center for Environmental Justice
CEJ welcome Government of Sri Lanka for the ban of selected plastic items starting from March 31, 2021. According to the new law use of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material to package agrochemicals has been banned.
Also banned are sachets having less than or equal to a net volume of 20ml/ net weight of 20g (except for packing food and medicines), inflatable toys (except balloons, balls, water floating/pool toys, and water sports gear) and cotton buds with plastic stems (except plastic cotton buds used for medical/clinical treatment).
No production can be done from 31st, but no enforcement of this ban for sale for another 3 months. Same time manufacturers requested to produce them for the countries in the region. CEJ believes, it should ban even selling in other countries since we have seen plastics from India in Sri Lankan coastline.
We hope all manufacturers will respect to this ban unlike in 2017. However, we fear whether they will produce 25 g or ml sachet to just avoid the legal barrier. we need to understand that sachet ban as part of the environmental consciousness and nothing else.