CEA to introduce QR code to track recycling of plastic bottles

The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) will introduce a QR code system to find out whether plastic bottles used for various reasons are recollected and recycled by those who produce and distribute them.

This was revealed when CEA officials appeared before the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Sustainable Development recently.The Oversight Committee and CEA officials discussed at length the environmental damage caused by the use of lunch sheets as well as the effect of phthalates, a carcinogen, on human lives.

Officials said Sri Lanka is the only country that uses lunch sheets now. They added that they are currently amending the Environmental Act.

The Committee suggested that the responsibility of re-collecting plastic bottles for recycling should be given to those who produce and distribute them. Officials said the QR code system is to find out whether plastic bottles used for various reasons are recollected and recycled and this, too, will be a part of the amendments made to the act.

The Committee suggested that an attractive payment should be made to those who return used plastic bottles to make recycling more attractive.Chair of the Sectoral Oversight Committee, Ajith Mannapperuma, instructed officials to identify single-use plastic equipment and materials currently being imported to Sri Lanka, list them and submit a report to the Committee.

MPs Jayantha Ketagoda, Dr. Thilak Rajapakshe, Waruna Liyanage, and a group of officials representing the Ministry of Environment, Central Environmental Authority and Sri Lanka Customs were present at the meeting.