COLOMBO, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka will ban the purchase and use of single-use plastic water bottles in all state institutions from May 31, according to a government circular.
The circular, issued by the secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, instructed heads of state institutions to implement the policy in their offices.
Official data shows that Sri Lanka generates between 250,000 and 500,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually.
From Nov. 1, 2025, retailers across the country were forbidden from providing plastic shopping bags free of charge.
