Status of Solid Wastes and its Management in the Coastal Environments of Sri Lanka

The study was conducted to evaluate the status of solid wastes and waste management in the coastal environments of Sri Lanka. Fifteen coastal environments of Sri Lanka were selected as the sampling locations for the study. The research methodology comprised analyzing the types of solid wastes and the composition of each type of solid wastes in a unit area. The sources of solid wastes governing marine litter were identified. In addition, interviews were conducted with individuals in each sampling location and with five major organizations related to the coastal environment of Sri Lanka, to investigate the solid waste management methods existing in the coastal zone and their effectiveness. The study revealed that there was an average of 4.2 kg and 50 pieces of debris per a square meter of beach. The results of the study presented that tourist beaches away from the town limits show the highest density of solid wastes and coastal environments in river mouths show the next highest. Plastic was identified as the dominant material governing marine litter in coastal environments. The interviews indicated that the lack of infrastructure facilities in the country, inappropriate and illegal waste dumping, absence of proper waste management systems, and less awareness on this issue governs the accumulation of solid wastes in the coastal environments and end up as marine litter. The study concludes that there is a need for utilizing proper waste management in the coastal environments with the effective use of available infrastructure facilities. At the same time, the need of promoting plastic recycling and acknowledging the community regarding the impact of solid wastes on marine litter is much needed. The study introduces a mobile application as a communication application to enhance the effective waste management of solid wastes with the available facilities and to motivate the community to save the coastal ecosystems of Sri Lanka.