– The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) has filed a case seeking to establish an environmental conservation levy mechanism using the charges currently imposed on shopping bags, arguing that the funds should be directed to a government environmental fund rather than retained by private businesses.

The case concerning decisions related to taxes and charges on shopping bags was taken up before the Supreme Court today. The petition forms part of broader efforts aimed at reducing and eventually eliminating the use of shopping bags and single-use plastic and polythene products entering the environment.According to the CEJ, the organisation previously filed a petition before the Supreme Court in 2020 seeking measures to curb plastic pollution. Following that case, the Supreme Court, with the support of the Consumer Affairs Authority, the Central Environmental Authority and the Minister of Environment, ordered a complete ban on providing shopping bags free of charge.

The court had also directed that if shopping bags are issued, a price should be imposed based on their size. Under the current system, consumers are charged Rs. 3 and Rs. 5 for shopping bags.The CEJ argued that under Sri Lanka’s existing laws, money collected as an environmental conservation levy should be credited to the government’s Environmental Conservation Levy Fund. However, it claimed that the charges currently collected for shopping bags are being retained by private retailers and supermarkets instead of being directed towards environmental conservation initiatives.The organization told court that the current practice is contrary to the law and amounts to a violation of the fundamental rights of citizens.

The case was taken up before Supreme Court Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Achala Vengappuli and Sampath Wijeratne and was fixed for further hearing on November 3, 2026. The CEJ is seeking an order requiring authorities to establish a legal mechanism to ensure that charges collected for shopping bags are credited to the Environmental Conservation Levy Fund in accordance with the relevant Act.Finance Minister and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Minister of Environment, the Central Environmental Authority and the Consumer Affairs Authority have been named as respondents in the petition.

Senior Counsel Dr. Ravindranath Dabare and Attorney-at-Law Sawanthi Ponnamperuma appeared for the petitioners on the instructions of Attorney-at-Law Nilmal Wickramasinghe.