Under the "Clean Sri Lanka" national programme, with financial support from the "PLEASE” project, a pilot programme to install “Plastic Loops” to capture plastic waste in major canal routes of Colombo was launched on the morning of 7th November near the Nawala canal at Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Plastic pollution blocking rivers and seas via urban waterways and canals has become a severe environmental issue. In Colombo, the main cause of blockages during heavy rainfall in its 14 principal independent canal systems and interconnected waterways is plastic waste disposal into these canals. This pilot initiative aims to address this challenge effectively.

The launch event was officiated by Deputy Minister of Urban Development Hon.Eranga Gunasekara, Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Hon.Sunil Watagala, Deputy Minister of Environment Hon.Anton Jayakodi, and the Mayor of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Hon.Arosha Athapaththu, among others.

Simultaneously, at a ceremony held at the "SACEP” (South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme) office, its Director General, Mr. Noah Wenjuck, spoke about the importance and impact of this project.

Additional Secretary to the President of the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat Mr. S.P.C. Sugishwara, Director (Environment) Mr. Anjula Premarathna, Director (Coordination) Mr. Dasun Wijesekera, and other officials from the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat also attended the inaugural event.

This progressive step marks a critical move toward significantly reducing plastic waste pollution in Sri Lanka’s urban waterways, employing innovative solutions to trap plastic before it reaches natural water bodies, thereby protecting aquatic ecosystems and contributing to environmental sustainability.