Sri Lanka will ban the import of plastic products to protect wild elephants and deer that die from eating them in landfills, the Environment Minister said on Friday.
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Plastic in Sri Lankan landfills is a major cause of death for elephants, with autopsies showing they have pounds of it in their stomachs after digging through landfills. Legislation is being prepared to end the importation of plastic products that end up in landfills, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told parliament. It will be presented in the coming months, according to officials.
Non-biodegradable plastic already banned
" Plastics are causing untold damage to our wildlife, elephants, deer and other animals, " the minister told AFP shortly after his announcement.
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Sri Lanka has already banned the manufacture or import of non-biodegradable plastic for packaging food or for plastic bags since 2017. The Minister indicated that the measures envisaged, which mainly concern toys and kitchen utensils, would be extended to local production, without giving a timetable.