Awareness programme on ban of polythene

Deputy Director General Upali Indraratna of the Central Environmental Authority said in Gampha that a tax relief and other incentives could be proposed for the productions of perishable polythene that perishes within three months instead of the none perishable type.

The Deputy Director General said that the producers of polythene and employees of those institutions, had faced inconvenience due to the ban of polythene. He was addressing an awareness programme held in the auditorium of Gampaha District Secretariat with the participation of the polythene producers and the traders with regard to minimising the use of polythene.

More than 300 people participated in the programme including polythene producers, traders and owners of the restaurants. They disclosed even though that they could help to ban the use of polythene island wide, there would be severe problems with the closure of the industry with effect from September 1st. They disclosed that they had to settle bank loans obtained and were faced with the loss of employments and the loss of funds that had been spent for the raw materials and that a large stock of polythene were left that had been already produced. They requested for a grace period to solve the issues.

It was revealed that the use of polythene in decorations, burning of polythene in public places, production, marketing and the usage of polythene will be banned including lunch sheets, polythene bags used for shopping purposes, rigifoam boxes used for packing of meals from 1st of September.