Cost factor is a barrier for waste management
View(s):Sri Lanka being a developing country in the world needs to look at waste management without considering the cost factor, says Prof. Ajith De Alwis, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University Moratuwa, at the launch of compostable bags in Colombo this week.
He said, “When it comes to healthy living and sustainable development of a country, the cost factor need not be considered too much. Today environment pollution is a major issue and a crime all around the world.” Adding to that, he said that most of the garbage is being thrown away is plastics and polythene bags.
He also noted that around three to four years back two kinds of bags photodegradable and biodegradable bags were introduced in Sri Lanka. Cost factor became a major problem when people had to purchase them. They always look at the short term usage and not the long term environmental pollution. Also people don’t look at the lifecycle issues.
BASF Partnership launched the project to promote organic waste composting in Sri Lanka. The theme of the project is ‘REPLACE’ which means “REstoring the environment by promoting biodegradable PLAstic resource”. The project
promotes organic waste composting with certified compostable bags.
Three educational sessions are planned to be held in Colombo with an aim to facilitate major stakeholders to switch to certified compostable plastic bags.
The main idea of the initiative is to create awareness, engage partners, educate stakeholders and achieve sustainability goals in waste management.
To this end, mobile awareness stations are planned at prominent locations in the city of Colombo to create necessary awareness among the public about the need to dispose garbage responsibly.
Certified compostable bags enable the hygienic collection of organic waste.
They prevent liquid leaking from organic waste and keep out unpleasant odors. As the bags are certified compostable it can be processed immediately upon arrival at composting site to be quickly converted into high quality compost without the need to first separate out non-organic or non-biodegradable waste.
(RM)