Polythene is a raw material that has been so intricately woven into our lives that it’s now reached extremities that require close assessment to regulate its control. Not only has it shown an adverse impact on our own health, but most importantly the precious ecosystems that are unquestionably imperative for our very own existence, sustenance and vitality. While certain types of plastics are important to carry out day-to-day activities (electronics, kitchenware, vehicles) it’s the single-use polythene based items such as polythene bags, straws and lunch sheets with a short life time that are adverse in every way and form.
Unfortunately in Sri Lanka, polythene bags are provided for every purchase made, ranging from small scale shops to supermarkets that operate at a large scale. The prime reason for this is due to its low cost; a polythene bag costs not more than Rs. 2.
One isn’t required to move mountains to bring about change. It can unarguably be done, one small step at a time with the right individuals facilitated with the apt vision and appropriate solutions.
Laudable local initiatives
Alternative lunch pack: 17-year-old Tharushi Rajapaksha came up with an innovative product earlier this year; her invention acts as an alternative for the widespread plastic lunchbox/lunch sheet use. She calls it and ‘Alternative lunch pack’, which consists of two compartments and requires less storage space than your regular lunch box. The inner compartment is what carries the food, which is then facilitated by the outer compartment for enhanced protection. Its core raw material is one that is biodegradable which then subsequently decomposes in the sun.
“My inspiration to design such an innovation came from the fact that our country as a whole wastes a high amount of 20 million lunch sheets daily, and I hope my product would subsequently reduce that number.”
The success of such an innovation would however invariably lie upon the initiatives propounded by the government and local investors to promote and expand the product to facilitate its availability.
In addition to this, measures have also been taken by local cafes and institutions to rectify the plastic menace.
Cafe Kumbuk and Cafe Plus Nine Four: These are two cafes based in the heart of Colombo that have actively taken up the initiative towards developing, facilitating and enhancing the idea of healthy sustainable living. Shana Dandeniya, Founder of both Cafe Kumbuk and Plus Nine Four told us that they’ve resorted to a number of methods to reduce plastic and polythene use. Starting from their straws and cutlery, which happen to be stainless steel, to their take-away coffee cups that are made of paper.
“We, at Cafe Kumbuk encourage our customers to bring along their own coffee cups, where they will receive a 10% discount for purchases made afterwards. This is also something we are currently planning on initiating at cafe Plus Nine Four.”
Bhumi: Bhumi is a local business which produces eco-friendly and biodegradable products for everyday use. Whilst this online marketplace was only initiated quite recently, they offer a wide variety of products and their fan favourites happen to be straws and cotton swabs. Interestingly, their straws are produced using either bamboo, Rs. 290 each or stainless steel. They offer two varieties of stainless steel straws, regulars for Rs. 160 and rose gold for Rs. 170.
We all know how frequently we use cotton swabs; that’s one after every bath or just whenever we feel like it. Bhumi has wooden biodegradable cotton swabs for Rs. 250 each. Although these products may seem a little pricier than what you’re used to, the price paid by our environment each time we dispose such items inconsiderably must not be forgotten.
“Our aim is protect the environment and help our customers to live a healthy, non-toxic life, making it normal to consume in a way that’s easier on the environment, while meeting the convenience we’ve come to expect,” Bhumi.
Local media: Local blogs and media firms are driven now more than ever to write articles that constantly discourage plastic and polythene use. Whilst these websites are ones that attract a very large fan base, the consecutive and consistent effort put in by these media firms shouldn’t go unnoticed. For instance, Pulse is one such website that highlights the disadvantages together with the negative environmental impact associated with plastic and polythene use.
Practical solutions
Environmentalists such as Jayantha Wijesinghe of Rainforest Protectors of Sri Lana have propounded viable solutions that are capable of making a notable impact not only in the short run, but in the long run as well.
He noted,
“At the end of the day, it’s a collective effort. We need the support of everyone to witness the success of these solutions.”
Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme (EPRS)
An EPRS is one such efficacious technique. It requires manufacturers of plastic to recollect their plastic items that have already been used and thrown. A taxation scheme could then be imposed on the portion which the manufacturers fail to recollect. This indirectly places a bar or a fixed quota which the manufacturers could then stick to.
Heavy pricing schemes
Another effective policy that could potentially be implemented is the heavy pricing of polythene and plastic items. This has the capability of discouraging the purchase of polythene and encouraging individuals to resort to alternative products that are reusable and environmentally friendly.
Incentivisation
An incentivising programme, which is akin to the aforementioned policy, is also a fruitful alternative that could potentially be adopted by the local officials. As the name suggests, it would include a return policy, whereby once an individual surpasses a certain number, he will be rewarded with free products. High taxation and pricing is an added characteristic that would facilitate the incentivising programme, further enhancing its effectiveness and workability. Schools, institutions and companies are places where such practices could be administered successfully.
Conclusion
Whilst there have been many efforts to improve the current state of affairs, it must be noted that reaching its fullest potential is a stage that is undoubtedly facilitated only by group effort, as pointed out by Jayantha.
Each individual plays an important role and awareness is vital in the journey towards reaching set targets, together with standardised policies and procedures that subject individuals and their actions to tight scrutiny. Not only would a plastic free environment ensure longevity and vitality of human life, but plant and animal life as well.
By Chenelle Fernando
