Features

Is plastic recycling a myth?

Published

2 years ago

2024/08/1

So, plastic recycling remains a myth, a catchphrase used by governments and industries, globally, to whitewash yet another tragic byproduct of industrialisation. The worst part of this mythmaking is that it puts the burden on the consumer, when there is very little they can do. The establishment touts three “Rs”: reduce, reuse, and recycle. They all have huge limitations under real life conditions.

By Geewananda Gunawardana,
Ph.D.

Plastic recycling was the topic of several recent newspaper articles; they all stressed the obvious need for action. However, they have failed to mention several hidden realities pertaining to this subject, and the goal of this write-up is to draw attention to the other side of the story. There is no argument that plastic waste litters the beaches and reduce their appeal to the tourists, but it is more widespread than that: plastic is found in inaccessible places of the globe like the Mariyana trench, the Antarctic icecap, and the highest peaks of the Himalayas. Besides the visible pollution of the environment, plastic is found in most living organisms; the human body, breast milk and the placenta included. This has enormous health and evolutionary consequences, yet less than nine percent of the plastic used is recycled globally, leaving billions of tons of plastics to rot unmitigated, snowballing a problem that has epic consequences not unlike the climate change or nuclear war.

Cellulite, the first known plastic material, was introduced in 1862; this is a polymer of a naturally occurring cellulose. The first totally synthetic plastic Bakelite was produced in 1907. The shortage of natural rubber during World War II led to the manufacture of numerous plastics in vast quantities, and this trend continues with ever increasing demands and innovations. This industry has introduced a plethora of chemical entities that have never ever existed on planet earth before. Mother Nature is resilient, and she will deal with them in her own way. However, the potential consequences of such adjustments should not be taken lightly; the most long-lasting living beings on this planet, the dinosaurs that lived for 165 million years, could not adjust to the effects of dust and smoke generated by a meteor impact. Let us not forget that despite their unparalleled sophistication, sense of superiority and invincibility, modern humans have inhabited the earth only for 160 thousand years: a mere blip in the 4.5-billion-year history of the planet that could end up just being that if they do not heed reality.

The curse of plastics goes way beyond spoiling the beauty of a serene beach or a sacred, pristine mountain top. This has to do with the way plastics degrade, or the way they resist degradation, depending on if it is looked at macroscopic or microscopic level. Cellulose being a natural substance, it decomposes naturally. There are microbes that can chew them up and return them back to carbon dioxide and water for reuse by plants. Plastics being brand new, nature had not had a chance to develop a way to do the same, there are no enzymes that can chew up plastics. Therefore, they do not rust or rot the way metals and wood would do and disappear.

When plastics degrade, that is when they physically break up, they produce minute pieces known as microparticles. These can vary in size, but they are generally considered to be particles smaller than one hundred microns. For comparison, the diameter of a human hair typically ranges from about 50 to 70 microns. Because of this microscopic size, these particles can spread throughout the environment and penetrate many barriers including living tissues. They can enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, or contaminated food, water, and beverages. In fact, plastic microparticles have been found in almost all living organisms, particularly in marine life, and all human tissues.

One may ask if they are non-reactive, or inert, what harm could they do? First, since they do not degrade, they accumulate in the tissues, this is a significant problem for long living organisms. The second is a more complex reason: all enzymes, the proteins that carry out all biochemical reactions in living organisms, do so based on their shape, like the shape of a key is specific to the lock it can unlock. An enzyme assumes a specific shape to accommodate its substrate to carry out its biochemical conversion. When the products of enzymatic transformations build up, it changes the shape of the enzyme and stops the reaction. This is an important feedback mechanism that maintains the biochemical balance, or homeostasis of the body. The trouble is that some plastic microparticles can mimic these natural substances thereby changing the activity of enzymes and disturbing the natural balance.

A wide range of diseases are now known to be caused by plastic contamination: Auto-immune conditions, Birth defects, Cancer, Cardiovascular diseases, Chronic inflammation, Diabetes, Inflammatory bowel disease, Liver and kidney problems, Low birth weight, Neuro-degenerative diseases, Rheumatoid arthritis, Stroke, and Thyroid gland disruptions are some examples. Ironically, despite the improvements in living standards, and advances in medicine, these ailments are on the rise; there are no doubts about the obvious reasons.

Recycling is a catch phrase universally used whenever these issues are raised. Unfortunately, the same properties that make plastic so useful render their recycling equally difficult, if not impossible. Once plastic is melted, it loses some of the properties designed for a particular product, making it less suitable for the manufacture of the same product. For example, polythene bags can be turned into composite lumber or playground equipment, but not bags of the same quality. This and the logistical challenges involved in collecting, sorting, and preventing contamination makes recycling less practical and more expensive than using fresh plastic raw materials. Because of this inherent limitation, less than 9% of the plastics produced globally are truly recycled. Incineration is a much more dangerous practice, as it releases more dangerous toxins to the environment in addition to more microparticles.

So, plastic recycling remains a myth, a catchphrase used by governments and industries, globally, to whitewash yet another tragic byproduct of industrialization. The worst part of this mythmaking is that it puts the burden on the consumer, when there is very little they can do. The establishment touts three “Rs”: reduce, reuse, and recycle. They all have huge limitations under real life conditions.

The burden should be on industry, instead. They have a habit of creating problems in the name of progress and palming them off to consumers, particularly those in the developing world. Plastics are not alone, there are other examples: antibiotics, internal combustion engine, pesticides – DDT in particular, and nuclear fission are some, but there are many more. In the case of plastics, it is not for the lack of alternatives; the world functioned just fine before 1907. The four hundred metric tons of plastic produced annually will sit somewhere long after humans are gone, and until the sun turns into a red giant and gobbles up the earth. Sadly, in the current context, innovation means making more money, and not the betterment of the human condition. “Continue to contaminate your bed, and you will one night suffocate in your own waste,” Chief Seattle, the patriarch of a native American tribe, wrote to then US president in 1855, regarding the European occupiers’ lack of respect for nature. He warned that they too would pass – sooner than some other tribes. It is time humanity came to this realization.

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Features

Proactive peacemaking becomes a paramount need

Published

5 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

Wasting wars: Some war-displaced people in Lebanon. BBC

It may be some time before the full impact of food inflation is felt in the West. Until such time the world would continue to keep itself in suspense over whether the Trump administration is in earnest when it seeks to convey the impression that it is backing a negotiated solution in West Asia.

As is usually the case, consumer stress would be one of the final determinants of political change. To the degree to which the average US consumer somehow ‘muddles through’ and puts the food on the table, to the same extent would the Republican sections of the US public in particular be tolerant of the Trump administration’s inconsistent handling of the West Asian war and the main issues stemming from it. That is, there would be no grave popular disaffection and a demand for political change in the short term.

However, the indications are that the Trump administration’s support base is suffering some erosion in the wake of the current economic crisis. While reports indicate that Democratic sections are firming-up their opposition to the political centre, Republican support for Trump is also showing signs of waning, we are given to understand.

The above developments are probably why Trump is on record as having given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a ‘dressing down’ recently on his seeming intransigence on the question of giving negotiations a chance in West Asia. The show of displeasure could be really aimed by Trump at containing the impatience of the American public.

However, the current ground situation in the Middle East, particularly the uncontained bloodshed, is likely to impress on the thinking sections of the world that more than temporary political change is needed in West Asia and the US.

A well thought out political solution that addresses all the contentious issues at the heart of the Middle East conflict is what enlightened opinion would demand, and very rightly. Right now, the ‘peace efforts’ initiated by the Trump administration give the impression of being piecemeal solutions at best.

There have been, of course, numerous initiatives in the past aimed at bringing permanent peace to the Middle East. These failed mainly because they did not address in full the root causes of the conflict.

At bottom the Middle East conflict is mainly about race and religious hate bred by socio-economic and material inequalities. For instance, if the Palestinian people were not displaced and deprived of land occupied by them at the time of the founding of the Israeli state, ethnic enmities would not have grown to the current unmanageable proportions.

When addressing the above questions, though, it must be remembered that the Israelis too were a displaced people who were entitled to land and a state of their own in the Middle East. Basically, out of these seemingly irreconcilable and conflicting demands have grown the Middle East imbroglio.

Middle East peace is considerably about reconciling these demands and arriving at a solution that would ensure the creation of two states that would opt for peaceful co-existence thereafter.

As long as the US does not see the need for a non-partisan solution that addresses the needs of both ethnicities and religions and goes all-out, as it were, to have it implemented, the Middle East would continue to bleed.

However, staunching the blood flow through the creation of two states would be only half the job done, though a very important part of it. More pernicious, pervasive and difficult to remedy are the inter-ethnic and inter-religious hatreds that have been unleashed over the decades.

However, if substantial, long-lasting peace is to be fostered in the region the latter ‘demons’ would need to be exorcised from the hearts and minds of the communities concerned. No doubt an uphill task but one that must be undertaken by those who wish the region well.

The UN would need to put its ‘best foot forward’ in such undertakings but it is time that it dawned on the international community and other caring quarters that Middle East peace, and all other such uphill challenges, require proactive peacemaking on the part of all civilized sections for their effective management. That is, public involvement in peacemaking too is a must.

Since hatreds are harboured in the human consciousness the enmities embedded in the latter need to be managed and defused judiciously alongside other undertakings in a peace process. In the case of West Asia, such enmities could be even spread globe-wide besides being multi-dimensional. For instance, it ought to be thought-provoking that Iran is insistent on a peace initiative that would also include Lebanon.

Besides security considerations it is also ethnic and religious affiliations that account for Iran making this demand. For instance, the Shias are a numerically important religious community in Lebanon and they provide a significant number of Hizbollah fighters, who are in a vital sense carrying out a ‘proxy war’ for Iran. It also needs to be factored in that Iran is a Shia-majority country.

Thus trans-border religious affiliations could add to the complexities and enormity of ethno-religious conflicts. However, the task of managing centuries-long enmities needs to be launched and prodded on with by peacemakers since a downing of arms alone would not guarantee substantive peace.

It is not realized sufficiently that the process of ending hatreds begins with mutual apologies by antagonists to a conflict for the harm inflicted on each other. This would be anathema in some ears but there is no getting away from the requirement. It is the vital first step to permanent peace anywhere.

In fact there could be no reconciliation worth speaking of without such mutual apologies. It is a point worth re-iterating in these times when even the government of Sri Lanka is voicing the need for national reconciliation. Well, without the words, ‘I am sorry’, there could be no permanent end to enmities – they would do well to remember.

The above requirements may not go down very well with governments, but they resonate in the hearts and minds of most people, since they are inheritors of religious traditions of some kind.

This is a principal reason why peacemaking works well when publics too are involved in them. The effectiveness of such campaigns increases several fold when they have a Mahatma Gandhi or a Jawaharlal Nehru at their helm. A strong proactive involvement by the public in peace could lead to the emergence of such leaders at some point in these campaigns.

Features

Dialog Brings Sri Lanka’s Largest Digital Vesak Experience to Matara

Published

5 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

From left to right: Hon. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, and Lasantha Theverapperuma experience the Dialog 5G Ultra-powered VR tours.

Official Digital Partner of the 2026 ‘Dakshina Prabha’ National Vesak Zone

Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s #1 connectivity provider, collaborated with the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs to bring one of Sri Lanka’s largest and most technologically advanced Vesak experiences to the ‘Dakshina Prabha’ National Vesak Zone. The three-day celebration, in Matara attracted more than hundred thousand visitors, who engaged with a series of innovative digital activities powered by Dialog 5G Ultra, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) experiences, digital pandols and a Data Dansala. The opening ceremony was attended by Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development and Hon. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Minister of Women and Child Affairs, along with distinguished guests and Dialog’s senior management.

One of the key attractions at the venue was the Dialog 5G Ultra-powered Virtual Reality (VR) experience, which attracted more than 35,000 participants. The activation enabled devotees to virtually visit and pay homage to sacred Buddhist sites, including the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in India and the Atamasthana in Anuradhapura, directly from the Vesak zone in Matara.

Visitors receive complimentary mobile data through Dialog’s QR-powered Data Dansala.

Dialog also conducted an AI Digital Vesak Greeting Card Competition from 21 May to 01 June 2026, attracting numerous entries from across the country. The shortlisted designs were showcased across 20 large LED screens throughout the venue and across Matara City, and were also made available for download via mobile devices. Further, through the use of AI, traditional Jathaka Katha were reimagined in a digital format, demonstrating how technology can be used to preserve and enhance cultural and religious heritage. Together, these initiatives blended traditional Vesak celebrations with emerging technologies, offering visitors a unique and immersive way to engage with Vesak traditions.

Extending the spirit of Vesak through connectivity, Dialog conducted a special Data Dansala powered by its QR Reload platform, enabling visitors to receive complimentary mobile data by scanning QR codes placed across the venue. In addition to the Matara National Vesak Zone, similar Data Dansala activations were also conducted at the Gangaramaya and Bauddhaloka Vesak zones in Colombo.Visitors also had the opportunity to create personalised Vesak-themed digital photos through an AI Photo Booth, generating AI-enhanced portraits using their own photographs and adding a contemporary digital element to the Vesak celebrations.

Visitors watch AI-generated Jathaka Katha

Commenting on the initiative, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, said, “The 2026 Dakshina Prabha Vesak Festival marked the first time AI-powered digital innovations were incorporated into a National Vesak Festival in Sri Lanka. Presenting Buddhist stories and teachings through technology created a new and engaging way for visitors to connect with these traditions. We thank Dialog for supporting this initiative and for working closely with us to bring our vision to life. Their contribution played an important role in making this first-of-its-kind event a reality.”

Lasantha Theverapperuma, Group Chief Marketing Officer of Dialog Axiata PLC said, “We thank the Government of Sri Lanka for the opportunity to support the 2026 Dakshina Prabha National Vesak Festival and for embracing technology as part of this year’s celebrations. As the Official Digital Partner, we were privileged to contribute through our Dialog 5G Ultra and AI capabilities, creating new ways for visitors to engage with Vesak traditions while preserving their cultural significance for future generations.”

Beyond supporting the National Vesak Zone in Matara, Dialog also enhanced the Gangaramaya and Bauddhaloka Vesak zones through a range of digital activations during the Vesak season. The company additionally continued its sustainability initiatives, including the Thirasara Aloka Poojawa, which illuminated rural places of worship through solar-powered lighting solutions.

Features

Beauty, elegance and talent…for women

Published

5 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

Universal Woman is an international pageant focused on “beauty, elegance, and talent” for women, positioning itself as a platform to shape global ambassadors. The 2026 edition will be held in Cambodia, and Sri Lanka will be there, as well.

According to reports coming my way, contestants, at the international event, will work with industry trailblazers, under international standards.

Sri Lankan supermodel, runway and pageant trainer Chulpadmendra Kumarapathirana, is the National Director for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026.

With over two decades in the industry, Chula was crowned Miss Sri Lanka 2006, and has since shaped the next generation of titleholders through her Colombo-based Chulpadmendra Catwalk Studio, widely regarded as one of the country’s leading modelling academies.

The team behind Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026

A former host of Derana Miss Sri Lanka for Miss World 2008 and a judge for Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2025, Chula now serves as National Director for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026, leading the franchise’s search for Sri Lanka’s delegate to the international final in Cambodia.

Applications for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 are being taken, via WhatsApp: 077 659 4994, says Chula.

The judging panel for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 includes Senaka De Silva, Pageant Aesthetic Advisor & Chairperson of the Judging Panel, Angela Seneviratne, Caroline Jurie, Rozelle Plunkett, and Suraj Mapa.

Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 officially began its journey with a first round of auditions, held in Colombo, marking the start of an exciting new chapter in Sri Lanka’s pageant industry.

Launching the first round of auditions

The platform aims to empower women while selecting an intelligent, confident, and inspiring representative to compete at the Universal Woman International Pageant 2026 in Cambodia, this September.

Universal Woman Sri Lanka now moves forward with the vision of creating one of the country’s most prestigious and empowering pageants while preparing to crown a queen who will proudly represent Sri Lanka on the international stage.