Environment Ministry to come down hard on arrack and containers disposed on wayside

The Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera, in his discussions with the Central Environmental Authority, had focused on the large number of bottles and containers being disposed around the country after consumption. 

The Ministry and the Authority have noted that there is a significant amount of environmental pollution as a result, and that stringent measures must be taken to control the situation. The issue of arrack flasks being disposed at waysides by consumers in the city and suburbs was broached.

As a large number of 180ml arrack bottles are consumed island wide daily, there is a significant amount of pollution that takes place from this segment, and no mechanism to retrieve these bottles either by producers, sales outlets and even consumers. Arrack flasks are a problem in the city and villages, a Ministry Spokesman noted to the Daily FT. 

Speaking further, he added that this problem also persists with small plastic containers often containing water and other liquids and consumables, as users dump them by the wayside and neither producers stepping forward to retrieve or clean up the environment.  The Minister has called for a report on the matter, and strict laws will be formulated and enacted in this regard.