The government will issue a gazette notification banning the use of lunch sheets, rigifoam boxes and shopping bags with effect from Sept. 1, 2017.
“There will be a new type of sheet introduced to the market to enable consumers to have an alternative for the lunch sheets they use at present. The government will also penalize offenders by imposing a fine of Rs 10,000 or imprisonment up to two years,” Central Environment Authority (CEA), Garbage Control Unit Director, Ajith Weerasundara said.
Researchers have identified 21 toxic waste products people dispose of today. The garbage issue has not been addressed properly and the public should be educated on this matter, he said. Only seven percent of the polythene which is released to the environment is recycled. Annually 300 million tons of waste is released to the environment. It is expected that by 2050, there will be more plastic particles than the fish in the sea.
In Sri Lanka, 8,000 to 15,000 metric tons of garbage is collected daily. In the Western Province alone 6,500 to 7,000 metric tons of garbage is collected daily. Annually, Sri Lanka produces one million metric tons of garbage and 30 to 40 percent of that is produced in the Colombo, Dehiwala, Mt. Lavinia and Sri Jayawardenapura areas. The Central Environment Authority has planned short term, medium term and long term programs to reduce the use of plastics, by using cloth bags and biodegradable products.
“We need to have zero waste principles which include rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, extended producer responsibility and exchange or give away, We could use environment- friendly inputs to reduce plastic waste, he said.
Ministry of Health, Directorate of Environment and Occupational Health, Consultant Community Physician Dr. Inoka Suraweera said, air pollution occurs when gases, dust particles, fumes or odour are introduced into the atmosphere in a way that makes it harmful to humans, animals and plants. This is because the air becomes unclean.
“We can not survive without air. Air is very important to all humans. Clean air in and around the home is essential for a healthy life,” she said.
There are two main types of air pollutants: outdoor and indoor. Burning polythene and plastics has adverse health effects.
According to WHO estimates, the number of deaths attributed to indoor air pollution in Sri Lanka in 2004 was 4,300, while outdoor air pollution deaths were 1,000. Limited data suggests that indoor air is more polluted that outdoor air in Sri Lanka.
Therefore, indoor air pollution can be considered a major public health problem in the country.
Among the reasons for indoor air pollution are poor ventilation, absence of chimneys or vents, use of unclean fuel such as firewood and burning of polythene and plastic to initiate fire, she said.