The All Ceylon Small Industries Association has stated that the government’s ban on the free distribution of polythene bags, including shopping bags, has had no effect on local polythene production or sales.
National Organizer Nirukshana Kumara said the move has actually provided supermarkets and shops an opportunity to earn extra profits, as many consumers still depend on polythene bags to carry their purchases. He added that most shops continue to provide free shopping bags, meaning the regulation has not caused any decline in the industry.
Kumara also noted that approximately 1,200 industrialists and manufacturers under the Dewailapura Police Division are currently engaged in polythene production.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court recently heard a fundamental rights petition filed by the Environmental Justice Center, calling for a program to reduce polythene use and to recover a levy on shopping bags from November 1, citing the environmental damage caused by polythene.
