Sri Lanka will ban the importation of plastic products to protect wild elephants and deer. Plastic in landfills in the country is indeed a major cause of death for these animals, autopsies have shown that they have kilos in their stomachs.
Legislation is being prepared to stop the importation of plastic products that end up in landfills, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told parliament on Friday. It will be presented in the coming months.
Non-biodegradable plastic already banned
“Plastics cause incalculable damage to our wildlife, elephants, deer and other animals,” Mahinda Amaraweera said shortly after her announcement. Sri Lanka has already banned the manufacture and importation of non-biodegradable plastic for food or plastic bags since 2017.
The Minister indicated that the measures envisaged, which mainly concern toys and kitchen utensils, would be extended to local production. But no timetable has been given on this extension.
