Laws to shift responsibility for packaging on to producers View(s):By Nidarshani WickramasingheLaws will be introduced to make manufacturers take responsibility for polythene and plastic products, Environment Minister Dammika Patabendi told the Sunday Times. The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) concept has already been included in the proposed amendments to the National Environment Act. Polythene even from the 1970s has been discovered embedded in the soil in Sri Pada now. Mr Jayakodi clarified that it is not possible now to impose fines on devotees for entering the Sri Pada region carrying polythene material. Visitors will not be allowed to throw food, beverages, medicines, or any other commodity with polythene or plastic packaging inside the environmentally sensitive zones.

Source: Sunday Times January 04, 2026 03:35 UTC