Although 450,000 tons of plastic imported annually, only 50,000 tons recycled- Sectoral
Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources & Sustainable Development
The Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on Environment, Natural Resources and Sustainable Development drew its attention to collecting PET plastic bottles for recycling, based on QR code, when it met in Parliament Friday (12) under the Chairmanship of MP Ajith Mannapperuma.
MP Ajith Mannapperuma stated that, although 450,000 tons of plastic are imported into the country each year, only 50,000 tons are collected for recycling, and a large amount of plastic burnt in the open. Furthermore, it was emphasised that attention should be mainly directed to PET plastic. Although, approximately 1,200 tons of PET plastic is used in this country per month, only 400 tons of it is recycled, and the remaining 900 tons are released into the environment in an improper manner. It was also highlighted that the said plastic is left in rivers and canals, and are also burned in the open buried in the soil.
It was disclosed that the main reason for not collecting PET plastic bottles is because the public is not interested in collecting them due to the low price for the bottles.
Given the existing context pertaining to PET plastic bottles, newspaper advertisements had been published to receive technical and financial oriented proposals from industrialists in the field and parties who have an understanding of this issue, regarding a method of returning deposits for PET plastic bottles based on a QR code, before July 18. However, the industrialists in the field and parties present pointed out that the period given for that is insufficient. Accordingly, the parties present requested the SOC to extend the time given to submit proposals and make the Extended Producer Responsibility system mandatory.
The Committee recommended to have the period for receiving proposals extend from July 18 to August 27, and to make the Extended Producer Responsibility system mandatory.
Moreover, officials of the Ministry of Environment were instructed to do a study and report to the SOC, regarding the methods followed in other countries, regarding the collection of PET plastic bottles for recycling based on the QR code.
MP Jayantha Samaraweera and Dr. Thilak Rajapakshe were also present at this meeting.
The post Focus on collecting PET plastic bottles based on QR code for recycling appeared first on DailyNews.