Eco-friendly packaging instead polythene, plastic at SATHOSA

The Environment Ministry is contemplating to give priority to introduce alternative eco-friendly packaging instead of polythene and plastic. 

Currently, the Ministry has taken steps to ban a number of single-use polythene and plastic based products such as lunch sheets, sachets, cotton buds with plastic stem, inflatable toys and more.

“Toothbrushes, lunch boxes, plastic spoons, forks and food containers that are being used widely, dumped into the environment. A number of local manufacturers have come forward to introduce the above products which are manufactured using fast decomposing materials instead,” Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.

He said following the discussions held with Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena recently regarding the usage of eco-friendly packaging material, Minister Amaraweera presented a wide range of perishable alternatives, made of plastic, such as toothbrushes, lunch boxes, spoons, forks, food stirrers, drinking straws and shopping bags.

Minister Gunawardena said the SATHOSA operates a network of outlets across the country would provide the necessary support to market these products and provide the necessary support to those alternative manufacturers to capture the market.

During the discussion, Minister Amaraweera thanked Minister Gunawardena for giving a huge discount on plastic water bottles which cause great harm to the environment and to prevent them from being dumped into the environment and help buying them at a lower price. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)