Sri Lanka, Nov. 4 -- The Ministry of Trade reports that the use of polythene bags in Sri Lanka has significantly decreased following the implementation of the new regulation, which prevents stores from providing them free of charge.

According to the Ministry, around 20 million polythene bags are used in the country daily. However, after the special gazette notification came into effect on November 1, a 50% drop in the number of polythene bags issued by a leading private supermarket chain was recorded within just two days - November 1 and 2.

The Ministry stated that the measure aims to reduce the environmental impact caused by the excessive release of polythene bags into the environment.

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