The Sri Lankan government announced on Feb. 14 that it will ban the use of single-use plastic products. This follows a series of deaths of wild elephants and deer from plastic poisoning in the country.
Sri Lanka's cabinet spokesman and media minister Bandura Gunawardena said the country will ban the production or sale of plastic cutlery, mixer pots and fake flowers from June 2023.
The move was recommended by a panel appointed 18 months ago to study the impact of plastic waste on the environment and wildlife.
Sri Lanka banned the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags in 2017 due to fears of flash floods.
The country began banning the import of plastic cutlery, food packaging and toys two years ago, after large numbers of elephants and deer died after feeding in open dumps in northeastern Sri Lanka.
Shrinking habitats have led elephants in Sri Lanka to raid villages in search of food, and many have died in agony after foraging in plastic garbage.
Autopsies showed that the animals died after consuming plastic products mixed with food waste. However, the local manufacture and sale of plastic products continues.
Jayantha Jayewardena, Sri Lanka's foremost authority on Asian elephant research, welcomed the move but told AFP that the ban should include biodegradable plastic bags.
"These bags are getting into the food chain for elephants and wildlife, and that's not a good thing," he said.
