News
Govt. to phase out plastic bottles with glass ones
The government was gearing up to phase out plastic bottles and promote the use of glass alternatives, Minister of Industries Sunil Handunetti told Parliament on Tuesday.
Handunetti said that the government was ready to offer a raft of concessions to investors in glass bottle manufacturing, aiming to counter Sri Lanka’s ballooning single-use plastic problem.
The move comes amid alarming usage figures: 20 million yoghurt cups, 15 million lunch sheets, and 20 million plastic bags are discarded every month in Sri Lanka, according to NPP MP Sunil Rathnasiri, who raised the issue during the session. He pointed out that the country consumed 1.6 million tonnes of polythene annually, 70% of which ended up as single-use waste.
“There is no single-solution approach to the plastic menace. It needs the cooperation of all sectors of society,” Handunetti said, adding that awareness campaigns and regulatory measures were already underway.
Deputy Minister of Industries Chaturanga Abeysinghe told the House that 158 plastic manufacturing factories were currently registered under the Industrial Promotion Act No 46 of 1990, with an additional 780 plastic product factories having obtained Environmental Protection Certificates as of 30 June, 2025. These numbers do not include factories operating under the Board of Investment.
However, the country still lacked precise data on its annual plastic production. “We are working with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to compile those figures,” Abeysinghe said.
He said that despite legal bans on ultra-thin polythene and some single-use plastics, enforcement remained patchy. “We’ve passed the laws, but we have serious concerns about whether the regulation process is functioning effectively. Investigations into compliance are ongoing,” he said.
Sri Lanka currently has just one factory producing glass bottles, but Handunetti said the government is keen to change that by supporting both new and existing ventures in the sector.
By Saman Indrajith
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya met with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dr. Kristalina Georgieva, at Temple Tress on the 17th of February
Dr. Georgieva, commended the Government’s efforts in stabilizing the country’s economy and in managing recent economic and natural shocks. She noted that Cyclone Ditwah had caused severe impacts, especially on economically vulnerable communities, underscoring the importance of targeted support and resilience-building measures.
The Prime Minister expressed appreciation for the IMF’s continued support to Sri Lanka, particularly in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. The PM further emphasized that real economic recovery and development must directly benefit the economically vulnerable groups and ensure inclusive growth, highlighting the need for Sri Lanka to attract quality and sustainable investments, particularly in the tourism sector.
The importance of reforming the education system to focus not only on knowledge acquisition but also on skills development and employability was also discussed
The meeting was attended by the Chief of Staff of the IMF Managing Director Andreas Bauer, Director, Asia and Pacific Department, Dr. Krishna Srinivasan Division Chief (Strategic Communications), Communications Department, Pierre Mejlak Resident Representative for Sri Lanka Dr. Martha Woldemichael, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, and Deputy Governor Dr. C. Amarasekara, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri and Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister Ms. Sagarika Bogahawatta.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution forwarded by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to relocate the Deniyaya Base Hospital after constructing a new hospital with a capacity of 300 beds at an estimated cost of Rupees 6,000 million.
The Southern Provincial Department of Health has acquired a plot of land in Handford estate which is approximately 03 kilometres away from the town for this purpose.
News
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