Sri Lanka Aims to Achieve 100% PET Bottle Recycling Rate by 2025

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The National Action Plan on Plastic Waste Management in Sri Lanka (NAPPWM) targets to increase its PET bottle collection and recycling rate from 27% to 100% by 2025. The country has a low recycling rate for PET bottles, in comparison with most other countries in the region.

The used PET bottles can be recycled into new bottles, incinerated or disposed of in landfills. The preferred option among these three is bottle-to-bottle recycling as it reduces the need for new plastics and leads to significant reduction in carbon emissions. The conversion of entire PET bottle to new PET bottle reduces pollution as well.

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The primary constraint for implementing effective bottle-to-bottle recycling in the country is not technology, as the country already possesses the technical know-how for the same. What is needed is a rapid shift in policy, increased participation by the public and fresh investments towards capacity development.

The bottle-to-bottle recycling could be implemented using mechanical or chemical recycling. The risks of plastics potentially getting contaminated by way of contact with other wastes such as electronic waste must be addressed by implementing necessary safeguards, similar to those in developed countries.

In short, the country aims to transition to a ‘circular’ model.