Refusing to be a “dumping ground” for wealthier nations, the Central Environment Authority (CEA) is taking steps in consultation with the Sri Lanka Customs at present, to send back 242 waste containers which had been shipped from Britain to the country last year.

The Court of appeal yesterday ordered the Central Environment Authority (CEA)to return the containers to the country of origin, Britain. The containers are currently sitting at the Colombo port and Sri Lanka Customs Katunayake Zone.

CEA Director General Hemantha Jayasinghe yesterday told the Daily News that the CEA opposed these foreign freight waste containers from the time they popped up at the port last year.

“We do not want to be at the receiving end when other countries sweep their plastic and other trash,” he said.

“We have stepped up action to deal with this situation and take the whole affair to the Basel Convention Secretariat on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes,” he said.

The Court of Appeal judge-Bench comprising Court of Appeal President A.H.M.D Nawaz and Justice Sobitha Rajakaruna had also directed Attorney General Dappula De Livera to take legal action against those responsible for importing the waste containers in question.

The orders came upon hearing a petition filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) in this respect seeking a court order banning the import of waste to the country.

The British company responsible for shipping the waste containers had notified in a letter that they are prepared to take them back. CEA Director General Jayasinghe said they had had a number of communications regarding this with British Environment Agency.