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Focus on Sri Lanka’s plastic waste management

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By Manjula de Silva, Secretary General and CEO, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce

Each year, over 640,000 metric tonnes of plastic leak into the Indian Ocean from Sri Lanka (Clean Cities, Blue Ocean, June 2020). The Western Province alone generates around 7500 metric tons of solid waste every day, out of which only 3500 metric tons are collected (Central Environmental Authority, 2018). Of this, close to 15% become compost, 10% is recycled and 75% is thrown into open dumps. While plastics have made essential products more accessible, the impact to the environment needs to be addressed.

As consumerism evolves, the earth continues to suffer. For over half a century, consumers have been placed at the forefront to bear the brunt of the burden they have placed on the Earth. But, are consumers only to blame? Consumers are a key stakeholder in the waste management process but they share this responsibility alongside legislators, civil society, importers of plastic and, producers who use plastic in their manufacturing and packaging processes.

Today’s consumers are even more aware of what they consume and hold these products, services and brands to renewed standards of transparency and accountability. Due to this, the conversation on sustainability among brands has shifted from a mere marketing gimmick, to a legitimate requirement that is demanded by the next generation of consumers, the world over.

The 3 Rs of responsible waste management – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle will remain the holy mantra across the spectrum of sustainability. However, as producers take up accountability, we have to ask the important questions. Are organizations able to switch to plastic alternatives and meet their current demands? How will this affect the product design and its safety for consumption? Elimination and reduction will only take away from the end consumer’s ease of access to the product. The end consumers in this case, are Sri Lankans like you and I.

This is where Extended Producer Responsibility comes into play. According to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy mechanism through which producers are given the responsibility (either financial and/or physical) for the treatment or disposal of post-consumer products. EPR is a critical tool in driving linear economies into a circular economy, as they supplement an extended product cycle even after the products initial use. Assigning such responsibility could in principle, provide incentives to prevent waste at the source, promote environmentally friendly product design and support the achievement of the national recycling goals.

EPR is systematic approach to ensuring commitment to the waste hierarchy of the 3 Rs by facilitating producers to remain responsible in the treatment and disposal of post-consumer products. This at present, is a more sustainable tool over bans as most products are created for utility and cannot be removed from the market overnight. For recyclable items such as PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) and HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene) plastic, better alternatives need to be sought which encourage recovery and recyclability.



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Baltimore bridge collapse: Divers find two bodies in submerged truck

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The bodies of two people have been recovered from a red pickup truck, which was under water where the Baltimore bridge collapsed.

Eight construction workers were on the bridge when a ship struck it, plunging them into the waters below. Two of the workers were rescued on the day, but the search continues for the other four – all presumed dead.

Salvage crews are working to address hazardous materials and accident investigators are on the scene.

Four of the six victims of the bridge collapse have been named so far. At a press conference on Wednesday, Maryland State Police identified Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, as the two workers recovered by divers from inside the truck. Mr Fuentes is originally from Mexico and Mr Cabrera is from Guatemala.

But divers are no longer able to safely navigate the waters because of concrete and debris found in the river, police said. They are now using sonar scans and believe that vehicles that may contain other bodies are “encased in superstructure and concrete” that came down from the bridge, an official said.

Two other missing victims, who are presumed dead, have also been named: Miguel Luna, originally from El Salvador, and Maynor Suazo Sandoval, a Honduran citizen.

Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier that two of its citizens were presumed dead – one of whom is now identified as Mr Fuentes – while another was rescued from the water.

One person who was in hospital after being pulled out of the water was released, officials said late Wednesday.

First responders spent hours on Tuesday searching the waters of the Patapsco River for the six construction workers, who were working on potholes on the bridge around 01:30 (05:30 GMT) when the ship crashed into the bridge. The US Coast Guard called off the search around sunset, saying cold water temperatures and hours gone by meant the workers were presumed dead.

Officials have pledged to find the bodies of the men for their relatives. “We’ve got to give these families closure,” Wes Moore, governor of Maryland, told reporters on Wednesday, adding that air, land and water resources had been devoted to the search of the victims. “My promise to them is this: I will devote every single resource to make sure that you receive closure,” he said.

But the operation has been challenging, Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Gautier said on Wednesday. Divers have been swimming in chilly waters with metal debris from the bridge that fell in the river. The cargo vessel itself is stable but has over 1.5m gallons of fuel oil and lube oil on board, Mr Gautier said.

Roughly 4,700 cargo containers were also on board, including 56 that contained hazardous materials. “The Coast Guard has moved aggressively to board the vessel, and we have teams on board,” Mr Gautier said.

Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said some containers with hazardous materials had been “breached”.

The US Navy plans to use barges with heavy lift cranes – some can carry as much as 1,000 tonnes – to remove parts of the bridge that fell in the water.

Investigations into what went wrong on the ship will be crucial, marine specialist Jim Bellingham told the BBC. “An enormous advantage is that the ship didn’t sink so they’ll get access to bridge records and hopefully recordings of what was going on,” he said. Officials are hoping that a data recorder they took from the ship overnight will provide more information.

The Dali was headed toward Sri Lanka when it lost power all of a sudden and issued a distress call before crashing into the Baltimore bridge.

Officials say the bridge collapse at a key port could pose a risk to global supply chains and the US economy.

Mr Moore said that 8,000 jobs could be affected by the bridge collapse and called the incident a “global crisis”. “The national economy and global economy depends on the port,” he said, noting that $80bn (£63.4bn) of cargo moved through there last year.

Paul Wiedefeld, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation, stressed that replacing the bridge will not be a fast process, but he promised at Wednesday’s press conference that officials are working to “come up with a design for the replacement of that bridge as quickly as possible to get the port back up and the community back up and running”.

Experts say Key Bridge’s collapse could lead to losses of up to $15m (£11.8m) per day, until the shipping lane is reopened.

US Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland said he was confident “thanks to the Biden administration” the state would get the necessary resources to recover and begin work on a replacement bridge. “Our top priority is to get the shipping lane open because of the impact it has on our country and the global supply chain,” he said.

Investigators are also hoping to determine whether dirty fuel played a role in the deadly crash. Maritime experts say contaminated fuel can cause a ship to black out as it creates problems with the vessel’s main power generators.

(BBC)

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European Chamber Report: Diversity, equity and inclusion crucial for Sri Lanka’s socio-economic development

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Sri Lankan businesses must look beyond the surface to design Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) strategies that consider broader complexities, if they are to achieve tangible and transformative business results and greater social harmony, says a new landmark report that provides recommendations for businesses to harness the potential of DEI.

The new report “Unlocking the Power of DEI: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a Strategic Imperative for Business Success and Social Harmony” was conducted by the European Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (ECCSL) in partnership with the Strengthening Social Cohesion and Peace in Sri Lanka (SCOPE) program which is co-funded by the European Union and German Federal Foreign Office. The study is an exploratory exercise based on an extensive literature review and interviews with 41 diverse businesses in all nine provinces of Sri Lanka. The study and dialogue at the event aimed to shed light on best practices and how businesses can leverage on existing know how to grow their business potential in modern markets.

The study aligns with the Government’s new Strategy to Promote Inclusive and Sustainable Businesses to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in Sri Lanka (ISB Strategy), which was also presented at the event by Chamindry Saparamadu, Director General and CEO of the Sustainable Development Council.

The study was officially presented to the Minister of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms, Min. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Sabry, as well as Carmen Moreno, Ambassador, Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The event was also attended by a cross section of Sri Lanka’s businesses as well as government, non-government and international development representatives involved in supporting inclusive economic growth in Sri Lanka.

Speaking at the event, . Carmen Moreno emphasized that “We must all play a part in promoting inclusion and equality. Governments and the public sector must adopt and implement the necessary legislation and public policies to combat all forms of discrimination and promote social justice. But also, the private sector has an essential role to play in building social cohesion and inclusion, starting at the workplace.” She further stated ” Improving business performance is an imperative at a time of crisis, and the report presented today shows clearly the linkages between economic growth, inclusiveness and social justice and the opportunities for businesses in Sri Lanka to embrace diversity and contribute to build a more resilient and prosperous society”.

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Plans underway to reduce electricity charges incurred by Northern farmers

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Minister Amaraweera presides at the launching of major agricultural projects in the North

By Ifham Nizam

Plans are underway to submit a Cabinet paper to reduce electricity charges for farmers using electricity for agricultural purposes in the Northern Province, Agriculture and Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.

Amaraweera said recently that the decision was taken in consideration of the strong commitment of the people of the Northern Province to carry out all the work in relation to agricultural development, especially since there are people in the war torn Northern Province who have suffered for three decades due to the war.

Amaraweera added: ‘President Ranil Wickremesinghe is of the opinion that most of the money allocated to the ministries should in turn be provided to the people of the Northern and Eastern Provinces when implementing development activities.

‘People of the Northern Province suffered from the war that lasted 30 years. However, they didn’t give up farming even in the midst of those troubles.

‘Following the statement of the President, the farmers of the Northern Province have made a request to provide some relief when they use electricity in their agricultural activities.

‘Accordingly, steps are being taken to present a Cabinet paper asking for some relief for Northern farmers when electricity is used by them for agricultural purposes.’

The minister made these observations while participating in the inauguration of a Passion Fruit Production Technical Demonstration Park and a Jumbo Groundnut Production Farming Company, which have been installed in connection with the launching of a 100-acre passion fruit plantation in Kilinochchi, Akkarayankulam. The latter was introduced by the Agriculture Sector Modernization Project under the Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries.

Nearly 200 farmers have got into passion fruit cultivation and the passion fruit factory was established with the participation of those farmers and declared open by the minister.

Passion fruit cultivation is being launched, targeting the export as well as the local market. Farmers are growing passion fruit in this farm so that they could obtain more yields by using new techniques.

The minister also inaugurated the factory bringing out jumbo groundnut-based products, involving 500 farmers in the villages of Karachi and Kandawalai in Kilinochchi.

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