Eight tonnes of plastic bottles collected from Sri Lanka’s coastline, stretching from Jaffna to Galle and Yala, are being sent for recycling today, according to the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA).
MEPA Chairman Samantha Gunasekara said the bottles were gathered alongside the ongoing cleanup of plastic pellets that washed ashore following the sinking of the MSC Elsa 3 cargo vessel, which caught fire off the coast of Kerala, India.
He noted that the cleanup costs are being covered by the company that owns the MSC Elsa 3.
Gunasekara described the initiative as a major milestone in protecting Sri Lanka’s marine environment, stating that the removal of plastic bottles—which have polluted the country’s coastline and marine ecosystem for decades—marks a significant achievement in coastal conservation efforts.
He added that around 1,800 workers were deployed to carry out the large-scale coastal cleanup operation.
