DEMAND AN END TO THE USE OF PLASTIC BAGS IN SRILANKA

Plastic bags have become a daily routine of srilankans due to the ease of availability. The massive consumption of plastic bags has led to a significant issue, which has to be dealt with immediately. Our beaches are covered with plastic and this poses a death threat to the aquatic environment, our ocean. Marine species become victims, often ingesting these plastic debris which kills them and global statistics have showed that by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean. As sri-lankans it is our obligation to protect and conserve these marine species and raise our voices to allow them to live. A ban in the production of plastic bags can help these species survive and it can be a step taken to reduce the amount of plastic that goes into our ocean. We suggest that companies which produce plastic bags can resort to the production of biodegradable bags instead. These bags can be produced using corn starch or cassava starch, which are eco friendly and reduce the threat posed to the environment. Additionally, further research can be conducted in order to expose ourselves to safer and environment friendly production of plastic and, together we can conserve and protect our environment and our species. Therefore, we demand an end to the usage of plastic bags in order to incentivize production companies to resort to the production of eco friendly and biodegradable bags as well as gradually remove the dependency of consumers to the consumption of plastic bags. This is an important issue and we have to thrive together for a greener and healthier srilanka.