Rs.10,000 fine, two-year jail term if found using polythene

Warren Tuesday, 22 August 2017 09:04 AM

Excellent move

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Snowy Tuesday, 22 August 2017 09:13 AM

Great. I hope this will be carried out. When I was a kid I accompanied my mother when she went marketing. All we took was a cane basket and all the vegetables where dumped into it On comping back home we used to separate them and put then into reusable polythene bags before placing then in the refrigerator.

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yahiya Tuesday, 22 August 2017 09:16 AM

we welcome. We are the good example to world

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thilak Tuesday, 22 August 2017 09:17 AM

how is the public to know which bag is less than 20 microns

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suresh Tuesday, 22 August 2017 09:21 AM

super markets should keep a recycle bin to collect and reuse old polythene bags.This is practiced in some western countries

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Jamalji Tuesday, 22 August 2017 09:51 AM

Public must be given 02 years period to rid the use of polythene and manufacturers to find alternate ways to earn income. This sudden decision will blast the lives of many hundred thousand persons and also the investments and machinery.

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ice4083 Tuesday, 22 August 2017 10:08 AM

Another clown act from a lame duck of a govt

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Nadraj Tuesday, 22 August 2017 10:13 AM

Good. Kindly arrange to buy back all polythene we have purchased and in the market. Provide alternates for use.

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DillonDP Tuesday, 22 August 2017 10:57 AM

Government should concentrate on promoting public to use alternatives or repeat use of polythene bags by means of incentives, rather than stopping wholly the production of polythene. such a move will ease producers to shift their resources gradually rather than a abrupt stop as such will cost livelihood of these producers and vendors.

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Terminator> Tuesday, 22 August 2017 10:59 AM

At the same time it would be great if the government could introduce some biodegradable bags to the public.

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Fathima Tuesday, 22 August 2017 11:04 AM

So funny. There should be suggestions for alternatives before suddenly saying that polythene is banned.

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ANTON Tuesday, 22 August 2017 11:24 AM

I AM GOING TO HIDE MY PE WATER STORAGE TANK, PLEASE NOTIFY NATIONAL WATER SUPPLY BOARD TO STOP LAYING PE PIPES.

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Nalin Tuesday, 22 August 2017 11:26 AM

Very good. I hope the Government will have the guts to implement this despite the anticipated opposition. It would best if the four main supermarket chains (Keells, Arpico, Cargills and Laughs) lead the way.

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Public Citizen Tuesday, 22 August 2017 11:32 AM

Great move, but whats the alternative your providing to the public so that everyone can use.

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ANTON Tuesday, 22 August 2017 11:32 AM

FIRST OF ALL , THERE IS NO CHEMICAL CALLED POLYTHENE, IT SHOULD BE POLYETHYLENE.

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ceylon Tuesday, 22 August 2017 03:16 PM

no punishment for helping biggest theives .how much fines for sirisena and ranil for that . via DM Android App

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ceylon Tuesday, 22 August 2017 03:18 PM

now have to cut trees to.make paper bags and cloth bags. via DM Android App

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Nonsense Tuesday, 22 August 2017 03:44 PM

Looks like we better start building more prisons then...

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ravin Tuesday, 22 August 2017 04:39 PM

First of all will someone tell general public( ordinary person/ lay men) how to identify and measure the POLYTHENE/POLYETHYLENE(more than 20 micron). So they can adhere to new law.

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Kingsley Wijesinhe Wednesday, 23 August 2017 11:23 AM

Laws must be simple, practical and enforceable. How does an ordinary citizen identify whether the bag he has been given by a shop is more than 20 microns thick, biodegradeable or whatever?These pseudo-scientific articles in the press are of no use. The CEA must issue easily understandable guidelines in all three languages and make it absolutely clear what is permitted and what is not permitted.

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Raj Wednesday, 23 August 2017 11:33 AM

The fine / penalty has to be for Producers and sellers not end users. End users may not know what micron a plastic bag is. Do the government discusses these type of policy decisions with people adequately before bringing some stupid laws?

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Bryan Nicholas Thursday, 24 August 2017 01:48 PM

Before imposing fines, the infra-strucuture should be in place - i.e. provide the alternative bags. This is similar to the garbage problem. The Authorities expect the public to segregate garbage without providing the infra-structure - i.e. separate bins. People in housing complexes are unable to segregate the garbage considering that the apartments are so small.

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Jayasiri Monday, 28 August 2017 04:36 AM

We need micro meters to check the polythene. Wrong micro meter can send us to jail. This is a Kakille government. How can the society change with limited alternative? A resident in Colombo should look for a banna leaf for lunch sheet?

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Hemaka Monday, 28 August 2017 05:44 PM

I think this is a good move but at the same time we all need to find a solution to the garbeag crisis as well.Some have already forgotten the reasont past.The left over plastic and polythene need to be delt with.

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Lawry Tuesday, 29 August 2017 08:59 AM

This is a welcome move. Now in my 60's I can tell you I grew up with no polythene bags. Rice packets were wrapped in wax paper or banana leaf. White paper to pack bakery products and news paper cones to pack grains, sugar and flour. They packed rice in brown bags made with cement bags. Powdery cement was washed off. As a solution supermarkets can now use mesh bags made out of cotton strings. They only need to have paper bags for grain etc.

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