The Central Environment Authority (CEA) will conduct raids from tomorrow on shops and sellers involved in selling and stocking single-use plastic products, which are banned from use, CEA Chairman Supun S. Pathirage said.

Therefore, an awareness-raising campaign in this regard was conducted at Colombo Fort today by the CEA and the environment police.

"Since 2017, the CEA has banned several polythene and plastic items; in 2021, three types of one-time-use plastic items were banned," he said.

Pathirage said they have decided to ban single-use plastic products such as drinking straws, mixers, yogurt cups and spoons, plates, cups, knives, forks, garlands and string hopper mats made of plastic.

The decision to ban these plastic items was taken due to environmental pollution and the threats they cause to health.

"Nearly 950 tons of plastic items are released into the environment daily. Due to the improper release of plastic items, cancerous microplastic and heavy metals deposit in our bodies. Due to improper disposal of plastics the CEA provincial officers are unable to collect them," Pathirage said. 

In line with "World Environment Day," which falls today, an awareness raising campaign was conducted in Colombo Fort while targeting all shops.

A total of 1,650 raids had been conducted in the first four months of this year, and more than 50 legal actions had been taken against them, he said. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)