Single-use plastic is all around us. From plastic forks and spoons for takeout to the thin, flimsy bags seen at grocery stores, society is inundated with nonreusable options.
To address this issue, as of Nov. 1, Sri Lanka has banned free plastic bag distribution in retail stores to curb plastic pollution.
According to Ceylon Public Affairs, the nation has been greatly impacted by plastic waste, with its beaches covered in litter. While the policy now requires customers to pay for each bag they use, the true intention of this change is that people will begin bringing reusable bags to avoid the fee.
Single-use grocery bags are made of polyethylene and are nonbiodegradable, leading them to end up in landfills or being directly littered into the environment. With increasing instances of wildlife being disturbed or harmed by plastic litter, the need to act is clear.
In Sri Lanka, the pervasiveness of the bags has specifically led to harmed marine life as well as clogged waterways. Thus, the move of making the bags come with a price has led environmental groups to call the policy a "long-overdue victory," per Ceylon Public Affairs.
While partial bans on plastic bags have popped up in places like California, researchers have found that full bans, along with fee-related policies like Sri Lanka's, are more effective measures in reducing plastic pollution.
In the short period since the bag fee went into effect in Sri Lanka, there has already been a 50% reduction in the issuance of polyethylene bags, as reported by one supermarket.
The country hopes to continue enforcing environmentally friendly policies, with Ceylon Public Affairs mentioning incentives for patrons to keep using reusable bags, such as implementing "bag-free Fridays."
Though plastic has made its way into everyday life, there are tons of options for swapping out single-use items for more sustainable ones. By getting reusable shopping bags, ditching single-use water bottles, and even repurposing the plastic items you do have, you can help keep these products out of the environment.
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