• Under Gazette Notification No. 2456/41 of October 1, 2025 (issued under the Consumer Affairs Authority Act), plastic bags with handles can no longer be given out free of charge.
• If such bags are sold, the price must be clearly shown on the receipt.
• The rule is part of a wider national effort to reduce damage caused by single-use plastics and polythene.
• Also banned: sale, free distribution, display, or use of single-use plastic straws, stirrers, plates, cups, spoons, forks, knives, chopsticks, and polythene lunch sheets.
Enforcement at the Fair
• The CEA says it has already reached agreements with food vendors at the fair to ensure banned plastic items are not used at stalls on the premises.
Awareness Campaign
• The CEA, together with the Sri Lanka Book Publishers’ Association, will run a special awareness program during the fair.
• Theme: “Read with wisdom – Carry with wisdom.”
