The Central Environmental Authority has asked people going to the Colombo International Book Fair to bring a reusable bag for the books they buy, saying single-use plastic carriers are heavily used at the event.
CEA Director General R.S.P. Kapila Rajapaksa said it had been observed in recent years that plastic bags — particularly thin Sili-Sili bags, which the Daily Mirror renders “silly sili” — are extensively used to carry books at the fair, where large numbers of people buy in bulk, the Daily Mirror reported.
What the law already says
The Consumer Affairs Authority has announced through Gazette No. 2456/41 of 1 October 2025 that Sili-Sili bags may not be given free of charge to any consumer. Where such bags are sold, the amount charged must be shown on the bill.
A separate prohibition covers the sale, offer for sale, free distribution, display or use of:
- single-use plastic drinking straws
- single-use plastic plates, cups, spoons, forks and knives
- food wrappers, or “lunch sheets”, manufactured using polythene as a raw material
The CEA said an agreement had been reached with the relevant parties to ensure that none of these prohibited items is used in any manner at food outlets inside the book fair premises.
”Read Smart, Carry Smart”
Working with the Book Publishers Association, the CEA will run an awareness programme for stall holders, food outlet operators and the public on 25 September 2026, the day the fair opens. It is being held under the theme “Read Smart, Carry Smart”.
The stated aim is to run the fair in an environmentally friendly way and to limit the damage caused by polythene and plastic waste.
Caveats
The Daily Mirror is the only verified newsroom to have carried this announcement; the story was otherwise picked up only by aggregator sites, which do not count toward our sourcing standard. The report does not say how the agreement with food outlets will be monitored, whether any penalty applies at the venue, or how many visitors the fair expects.
