In 2019, an investigation by the Social Protection Division of the Sri Lanka Customs found 263 containers containing clinical waste, used cushions and mattresses, plastic waste and unsorted and hazardous waste imported into the country from Britain.
Highlights
- Sri Lanka returns last garbage containers containing clinical waste
- Waste had been brought to Sri Lanka from UK
Sri Lanka on Monday shipped out to the UK the last 45 containers containing hazardous garbage, including clinical waste, used cushions and mattresses, that arrived from Britain, according to media reports. The containers were part of 263 containers imported to Sri Lanka in 2019. A local company said that the waste had been brought to Sri Lanka from the United Kingdom, the Colombo Gazette reported.
Under the BASEL Convention, it is a direct violation to import waste between two countries, and as a result, under the initiative of the Central Environmental Authority and the Sri Lanka Customs, action had been taken to re-export the remaining 45 containers containing waste material to the UK on February 21, 2022, the report said.
In 2019, an investigation by the Social Protection Division of the Sri Lanka Customs found 263 containers containing clinical waste, used cushions and mattresses, plastic waste and unsorted and hazardous waste imported into the country from Britain, News 1st Lanka reported.
It was revealed that 133 containers had been deposited at the Port of Colombo and the remaining 130 containers had already been cleared from the port and stored at the premises of a private company operating under the Board of Investment (BOI) in Katunayake, it said. During the Customs investigation, the Center for Environmental Justice filed a case in the Court of Appeal. As a result of that case, the Court of Appeal issued an order that the 263 containers be repatriated to Britain with immediate effect, the report said.
Accordingly, Sri Lanka Customs took action to ship 133 containers of garbage contained in the Port of Colombo to Britain by the year 2020. In addition, Sri Lanka Customs secured 130 containers stored at private company premises in Katunayake and re-exported 85 containers to Britain on nine occasions during the past year.
The Ministry of Environment and the Central Environmental Authority provided great support to Sri Lanka Customs from the outset to make the repatriation of these containers a success. Sri Lanka Customs will take further action under the provisions of the Customs Ordinance against individuals and institutions involved in this illegal activity.
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