CRISIS RESPONSE NEEDED REGARDING PLASTIC POLLUTION IN SRI LANKA

Plastic waste is a growing issue worldwide. According to United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) a truck load of plastic waste enters the ocean every minute we spend on this planet.

- By Yohan Liyanage

Recent studies suggest that Sri Lanka generates about 938 metric tonnes of plastic waste every single day. The same study has revealed that about 300 metric tonnes of this was collected daily by the local authorities. A majority of plastic waste metric tonnes per day are openly and illegally dumped. In addition, only 38 metric tonnes of this plastic had been recovered for recycling. At present, uncollected waste is estimated to account 638 metric tonnes per day, of which about 140 metric tonnes per day is self-disposed. As much as 419 metric tonnes of waste is openly and illegally burnt in individual premises.

Plastic pollution has far-reaching environmental consequences, affecting ecosystems, wildlife, and more particularly human health.

Plastics are made from a complex combination of chemicals, including additives that give them strength and flexibility. Both plastics and chemical additives can be toxic. Over time, plastic breaks down into tiny particles called microplastics. These infiltrate water sources, soil and even the food chain, posing risks to both animals and humans. Studies have found microplastics in fish, drinking water, and even human blood. In 2022, scientists from the Netherlands and the U.K. announced they had found tiny plastic particles in living humans, in two places where they hadn't been seen before; deep inside the lungs of surgical patients, and in the blood of anonymous donors.