Culture & Entertainment · Sri Lanka Bureau
Sri Lanka must overhaul plastic strategy to avert deepening waste crisis
Sri Lanka's plastic problem extends far beyond waste management, threatening coastal ecosystems, fisheries and public health, according to the Vice Chancellor of The Open University of Sri Lanka. The country needs comprehensive policy reform rather than relying solely on collection and disposal methods.
LSN Sri Lanka ·
Senior Professor P. M. C. Thilakerathne warned that Sri Lanka faces mounting environmental and socioeconomic pressures from plastic pollution that demand urgent strategic intervention. The Vice Chancellor emphasized that treating the issue primarily as a waste-disposal problem fails to address the scale and complexity of the crisis facing the island nation.
The plastic challenge extends across multiple sectors critical to Sri Lanka's economy and wellbeing. Coastal communities, fisheries dependent on marine resources, and public health systems are all experiencing adverse effects from inadequately managed plastic waste, according to the academic leader.
Thilakerathne's assessment suggests that current approaches focusing on collection and disposal fall short of tackling root causes. Experts increasingly argue that meaningful progress requires broader policy frameworks addressing production, consumption and circular economy principles.
The Vice Chancellor's intervention reflects growing recognition among Sri Lankan institutions that plastic pollution demands multisectoral solutions involving government, business, communities and civil society. Without comprehensive rethinking of the country's approach to plastics, environmental degradation and associated economic losses are likely to accelerate.