News
100 million tons of disposable plastic ware dumped into environment every month
By Ifham Nizam
Nearly 100 tons of used plastic yoghurt cups are discarded countrywide annually, a study done by the Environment Ministry reveals.
Among the findings is that only seven percent of yoghurt cups discarded after use are collected for recycling.
It was also revealed that about 45 million yoghurt cups and similar disposable plasticware are added to the environment every month.
The study reveals that careless burning of yoghurt cups as well as all polythene and plastics is also harmful to the environment and human health. Dioxin and furan, which have been identified as carcinogens, are widely released into the atmosphere due to the burning of plastic.
Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera held discussions with several companies that currently recycle yoghurt cups.
Amaraweera said that the use of plastic cups in the yoghurt business could not be banned as no alternative had been identified so far.
“Yoghurt is a highly nutritious food that can be obtained at a low price and if the plastic cups are banned, the manufacturers will be severely inconvenienced and the industry may collapse as there is no cheap alternative,” the Minister pointed out.
Minister Amaraweera however added that therefore, the use of plastic cups by the yoghurt trade would not be prohibited, but the use of plastic spoons for eating them would be banned.
A Cabinet paper had already been submitted listing additional eight plastic products to be banned. It seeks to ban plastic spoons, forks, food stirrers, etc.
A number of companies buy disposable yoghurt cups for recycling. Representatives of those recycling companies also pointed out that the public could therefore earn extra money without burning empty yoghurt cups or dumping them.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation to provide the required provisions to purchase the green gram harvest in a competitive manner with the private sector by expanding the program initiated by the National Food Promotion Board, on the advice of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation,
Green gram has been cultivated in an area of about 16,500 hectares in the 2025 Yala Season and intermediate season and a harvest of about 14,600 metric tons of green gram is expected. Currently, green gram harvesting has started in the Hambantota district, and it has been reported that middlemen are buying the harvest for a low price of Rs. 450/- per kilogram.
Approval has been granted at the cabinet meeting held on 08-02-2021 to award 326 bridge construction contracts to the State Development and Construction Corporation for the construction of bridges across the island under the Rural Bridges Program.
The construction of a further 23 bridges has been assigned to the Road Development Authority.
It had been decided in the year 2022, to stop the construction of 184 bridges, where construction had not been initiated. The construction of 45 bridges from the 142 remaining bridges have already been completed.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban
Development to recommence the construction of the remaining 74 bridges by the State Development and Construction Corporation and to complete the construction expeditiously.
Policy approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 16.06.2025 to repeal the Parliamentary Pension Act No. 1 of 1971 of the State Council.
In keeping with the promise given to all Sri Lankans who supported the vision of ‘A wealthy country – A beautiful life’ which appeared in the policy declaration of the Government, a draft bill has been prepared by the Legal Draftsmen for
repealing the Parliamentary Pension Act with the objective of cancelling pensions rights given to elected members of the Parliament and their spouses.
As the Attorney General has given clearance to the draft bill, the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted to the proposal submitted by the Minister of Justic and National Integration to publish the said draft bill in the government gazette notification and subsequently to be presented to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth added to Sri Lanka squad for tri-series
Purchasing of 2025 green gram harvest
Cabinet approves the completion 74 bridges under the Rural Bridge Program
‘Heartbroken’ Alcaraz pulls out of Davis Cup Finals
Parliamentary Pension Act No. 1 of 1971 to be repelled
Cabinet nod to appoint Dr. (Eng.) K. Waligepolage as Director General of Irrigation
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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