Taxing plastic bags won’t untax the environment

The recently issued extraordinary gazette mandates that retailers can no longer distribute plastic shopping bags for free from November 1, 2025, which is a welcome move in principle, due to the serious harm posed by the bags to the environment. However, by tagging a price on all plastic shopping bags, can the environmental damage caused be reversed?

Not all citizens in Sri Lanka possess the luxury of owning a vehicle, and many do their grocery shopping at different times. Some even at the time of returning from work. Are they expecting them to carry fabric bags in their handbags? Instead of encouraging reusable alternatives, imposing a charge for each polythene bag used to carry goods purchased would create an added burden on consumers already dealing with the rising prices of consumer goods. 

In 2006, the Central Environment Authority banned the manufacture and sale of polythene bags of thickness less than 20 microns, and this action was not sanctioned by any authority.  It seems once again the regulation lacks a critical component of plans and procedures to counter.  Implementing such ad hoc decisions without corrective measures will set back the intended goals!

Vinodini Jayawardena