by Dilanthi Jayamanne
Plastic is not a menace, it is people who have transformed it into a problem and blown it out of proportion because of their insensitivity to the environment. Member of the Plastic and Rubber Industries (PRI), S. Rajalingam addressing a press conference held to announce the project facilitated by the Lions Club of Colombo District 306 B and the PRI in collaboration with the Wattala Urban Council, said that that the laws formulated by local governments to fight the plastic menace were not being implemented adequately to curb the problem of plastic.

"The solution should come from the people themselves because they are the cause of the plastic problem," he said pointing out that the best method of overcoming the issue of plastic and polythene bags among the garbage heaps was to create an awareness among people.

"The message should be taken to the people through school children," he said.

Explaining the initial project Rajalingam said that 31 schools from Wattala-Mabola would be participating in a ‘plastic bag contest’, where students should wash, clean and dry the plastic bags commonly known as ‘sili sili’ bags and bring them to school. "There would be a lottery draw for children," he said. If a child brings 100 bags he or she will get a lottery ticket. If the child brings 300 bags he or she will get three lottery tickets. There are over two hundred prices to be won at the lottery draw, the PRI member claimed. He added the school which collects the most number of bags would win school equipment worth around Rs. 10,000.

PRI member Anwar Dole pointing out the necessity of ensuring the type of container which came with food said that one must ensure that it is plastic which could be re-cycled. Such containers carry a symbol of a wine glass and a fork, he said. He added that the triangular arrow on plastic indicated that it could be recycled.

PRI member T. L. C. Chandraratne said that garbage was a local government responsibility. "However, polythene bags collected in garbage can be sold at around Rs. 35 per kilogram.

"In Sri Lanka the per capita consumption of plastics is around 4.2 kilograms per person. The world average plastic consumption is around 18 kilos".

He stressed that people should be encouraged to separate plastic from garbage and they would be able to sell plastic to those who recycle it.