War against polythene: Recycling is the best long run solution

War against Sili-Sili bags

- 

POLYTHENE bags which are humorously called 'Sili-Sili bags' due to the exceptional chattering sound they make when in use, made its strong entry into Sri Lanka's popular consumerist culture in early 1980s. Prior to that, when the country was under a strict import control regime, polythene bags were so scanty that they were treated as a luxury item available only to those who had got the rare opportunity of traveling abroad. Thus, it was an exclusive item used only by a few people in society at that time. But after the country's economy was partially opened, Sri Lanka began manufacturing its own polythene bags making them an inclusive item of consumption. Their wide-spread use with no proper post-use management, however, led to an unintended consequence in the form of accumulating it large quantities in environment. Since polythene took a long time for degradation, its accumulation became aesthetically unpleasant. To resolve the issue, Governments sought to limit their use by imposing restrictions on certain types of polythene items. The futility. of this policy was argued out by me in a previous article in this series when President Maithripala Sirisena started a war against polythene and tobacco in 2015. Under this, a partial ban was imposed for the manufacture, sale, offer for sale, offer free of charge, exhibition, or use of polythene or any polythene product of 20 microns or below in thickness. This measure was ineffective due to the poor policing.

Two directives

The latest war against polythene has been waged by the present Government by issuing two directives, one aiming at the use of polythene bags and the other targeting the use of plastic bottles carrying drinkable liquids and feeding bottles made of polymer materials.3 The ban is to be administered by the Consumer Affairs Authority or CAA, the regulatory arm of the Government with sufficient teeth to police it.

Regulation against polythene