Shocking photos of elephants chowing down on plastic have prompted authorities in Sri Lanka to step up previously largely ignored pollution control measures in a country plagued by an accumulation of waste amid an economic crisis.
After the death in 10 years of about twenty of these pachyderms and countless other wild animals having swallowed single-use plastics, a law banning this substance must come into force in the coming weeks.
Bags, bottles and other packaging are also accused of clogging drains and causing flooding in urban areas. They would also be the cause of an upsurge in dengue fever, a potentially fatal disease transmitted by mosquitoes that swarm in stagnant water. “We want to raise awareness about the responsible use of plastics,” said Anil Jasinghe, Minister of the Environment.
The sale of a series of single-use plastic items that are harmful to the environment, difficult to recycle and can be easily replaced, will be prohibited. This includes cutlery, cups, straws and garlands of flowers.
However, the implementation of these new regulations promises to be complicated. Already, in 2006, the government had banned ultra-thin plastic bags and food packaging, but it had remained a dead letter with manufacturers. “Of course, we attack them regularly, but this is not how we will solve the problem”, recognizes the minister.
Sensitization
For him, a more respectful mode of production requires better awareness of environmental issues.
The government had again tried, in vain, to ban plastic shopping bags after an accident at a huge landfill that killed more than 30 people in 2017. A mountain of garbage had collapsed, burying the shacks of a slum on the outskirts of the capital, Colombo.
In addition to manufacturers failing to comply with the law, bankrupt Sri Lanka is struggling to process what it produces. The historic economic crisis that began at the end of 2021 has led to a pile of waste due to a shortage of fuel that garbage trucks are experiencing. According to the United Nations, this South Asian country only recycles 3% of the plastic products it consumes, less than half the global average of 7.2%.
Plastic bottles are not affected by the new ban, but the country’s largest recycler says it can process around two-thirds more than it can currently. For this, the waste would have to be collected.
“We have the capacity to recycle 400 tons per month, but we currently only process 250,” explains Prasantha Malimbadage, general manager of recycling at Eco Spindles. The company transforms plastic bottles into polyethylene sewing thread, used by major international brands in the textile industry.
In the Eco Spindles factory, located south of Colombo, nearly 350 people sort the bottles which are crushed and reduced to tiny plastic flakes. “Ten bottles are used to make a t-shirt and 27 bottles are used to make a graduation outfit,” explains Mr. Malimbadage.
Health and environment
According to a 2020 study by the Center for Environmental Justice, an organization based in Sri Lanka, single-use plastics accounted for almost 15% of urban waste. This country of 22 million people produces more than 1.5 million tons of plastic waste every year, half of which ends up in canals and rivers, then ends up in the Indian Ocean.
Health authorities believe that the entry into force of the ban on this substance should help to curb the spread of dengue fever. In 2021, some 35,000 cases and 26 deaths were recorded, compared to 76,600 cases and 72 deaths in 2022.
“Where the plastic packaging is thrown away, there is a peak of dengue fever”, underlines Lahiru Kodituwakku, of the national control unit of this disease, evoking “a strong correlation”.
However, many environmental activists and defenders remain skeptical. For Nishshanka De Silva, founder of the association Mouvement ZeroPlastic, “it’s a good thing, but I wonder if they will really go ahead and apply it”.