The National Action Plan on Plastic Waste Management is prepared based on a preventative approach and using 3R (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) related waste hierarchy. This approach is in line with the national policies of the government based on the policy statement, “Vistas of Prosperity”, as well as the view (as stated in “Sustainable Environmental Policy”) that “The linear economy in which manufacturers produce goods using the existing raw materials and dispose of waste into the environment will be replaced with the circular economy in which waste in one industry can be used as raw material in another (Re-Use, Recycle, Re-Purpose). This will create eco-industrial zones and pave the way for a green economy”.
The approach as discussed in this report also conforms to the National Policy on Waste Management and the National Policy on Sustainable Consumption and Production Policy. It is important to prioritize the 3R approach and work towards Zero Landfill. A key activity of the plan is to facilitate collection of segregated plastic waste and recycling of plastic waste as a profitable business to produce quality raw material for the plastic industry.
Based on the strategic directions guided by national policy, relevant, measurable, attainable time-bound goals along with cross-cutting issues were determined through the series of consultative meetings and workshops inviting relevant stakeholders on plastics in Sri Lanka.
In consideration of the need for comprehensive plastic waste management in Sri Lanka, this report was developed by the Ministry of Environment with technical assistance by IGES Centre Collaborating with UNEP on Environmental Technologies (CCET) and financial support from the Ministry of Environment Japan (MOEJ).
