[{"bbox": [96, 153, 1137, 206], "category": "Text", "text": "environmental and health benefits will be derived by reducing unsustainable single use plastic food packaging and promoting circularity."}, {"bbox": [96, 218, 1137, 378], "category": "Text", "text": "The Government has made several attempts over the years to promote a circular economy and reduce waste but it was never accompanied by the necessary financing needed for industries to invest in transformative technologies and innovation, nor the necessary incentives for consumers to change their behaviour. Investing in the circular economy can revive the food supply chains by stimulating innovation, entrepreneurship and creating jobs, while using less raw material and energy which will have a positive environmental and climate impact. This will allow the government to deliver on international commitments, including those made at COP 26 in Glasgow."}, {"bbox": [96, 390, 1137, 549], "category": "Text", "text": "Most recently, the country has adopted two important policy measures related to food waste and plastic use, namely the *Road Map on Urban Food Waste Prevention and Reduction for Households, Food Services, Retailers and Wholesalers (2022)* and the *National Action Plan on Plastic Waste Management (2021)*. As the objectives for these two sectors are aligned adequately with the objectives of the new EU Circular Economy Action Plan⁷, the EU is proposing under this Action to provide additional support for the implementation of some of the key objectives under these two government policies."}, {"bbox": [96, 561, 1137, 828], "category": "Text", "text": "In order to deliver on these aligned policy objectives in the current context, the Team Europe Initiative on Green Recovery, to which this Action contributes, and the Green Policy Dialogue Facility (AAP 2021) are both timely and important for a sustainable and green economic recovery. It needs to be noted though that with its current fiscal position, Sri Lanka is forced to reduce public and private expenditure/investment which impacts directly the work with the EDFIs and the initially envisaged mobilisation of sustainable finance under the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+). With those uncertainties, including on the future legal framework, current options for EFSD+ operations (blending and/or guarantees) for new investments are limited in the short/medium-term. This has not prevented the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to launch the Sri Lanka Green Finance Taxonomy in May 2022, which is aligned with the EU taxonomy. As such, it could be used to select beneficiaries and matching grant recipients under the Action."}, {"bbox": [85, 854, 341, 884], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.2 Problem Analysis"}, {"bbox": [96, 900, 1137, 1244], "category": "Text", "text": "The Sri Lankan food system operates on a wasteful linear model with food security being put at risk and a detrimental impact on the environment. It is estimated that currently Sri Lanka generates approximately 9,000 metric tonnes (MT) of municipal solid waste per day (equivalent to about 0.41 kg per capita) with the Western Province accounting for nearly 40%⁸. Out of this, only 15% become compost or 10% is recycled and 75% is thrown into open dumps⁹. On average food waste makes up 56% of the total municipal solid waste. A survey in the Colombo Municipal Council area has revealed that 75% of food waste is generated from restaurants, 17% from markets, and 6% from slaughterhouses and meat shops¹⁰. Moreover, post-harvest losses reach 30-40%¹¹. Food waste/loss thus largely ends up at disposal sites. This is recognised by the government, which is showing interest in transition to a more circular economy that aims to maintain the value of products, materials and resources for as long as possible, by returning them into the product cycle at the end of their use, while reducing the generation of waste. For instance, in a bid to address the urban food waste challenge, the Sri Lankan government has adopted a *Road Map on Urban Food Waste Prevention and Reduction for Households, Food Services, Retailers and Wholesalers (2022)*."}, {"bbox": [96, 1257, 1137, 1392], "category": "Text", "text": "In addition, food waste is very often combined with single use plastic (SUP) packaging, another of the most glaring symbols of a resource inefficient economy. Each year, over 640,000 metric tonnes of plastic leak into the Indian Ocean from Sri Lanka ¹². Most of the floating marine litter is plastic packaging, polythene bags and other SUPs, which has become one of the key environmental problems of the country and result in high health risks. PET bottles¹³ is the only plastic waste that is collected separately for recycling and for which Sri Lanka has adopted a"}, {"bbox": [85, 1440, 598, 1461], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁷ https://ec.europa.eu/environment/strategy/circular-economy-action-plan_en"}, {"bbox": [85, 1459, 1145, 1497], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁸ Website of the UNFCCC, 'Updated Nationally Determined Contributions' (2021), at [UPDATE Nationally Determined Contributions (unfccc.int)](UPDATE Nationally Determined Contributions (unfccc.int)) ('Updated NDC')."}, {"bbox": [85, 1497, 1145, 1538], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁹ Website of Lanka Business Online, 'Opinion: Extended producer responsibility to help address Sri Lanka's plastic waste management', at [https://www.lankabusinessonline.com/opinion-extended-producer-responsibility-to-help-address-sri-lankas-plastic-waste-management/](https://www.lankabusinessonline.com/opinion-extended-producer-responsibility-to-help-address-sri-lankas-plastic-waste-management/)"}, {"bbox": [85, 1537, 133, 1555], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹⁰ Ibid."}, {"bbox": [85, 1556, 231, 1574], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹¹ FAO/IWMI, 2021c"}, {"bbox": [85, 1575, 1060, 1596], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹² Website of The Island, 'Focus on Sri Lanka's plastic waste management', at [Focus on Sri Lanka's plastic waste management - The Island](Focus on Sri Lanka's plastic waste management - The Island)"}, {"bbox": [85, 1595, 1013, 1619], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹³ PET bottles are plastic bottles made from polyester. PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate, the chemical name for polyester."}, {"bbox": [1038, 1681, 1145, 1705], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 5 of 22"}]