In celebration of World Environment Day 2022, Watawala Plantations PLC (WPL) organized a series of vibrant activities at the Thalangaha Estate in Galle to raise awareness of the vital importance of protecting and preserving the environment. Inspired by this year’s global #OnlyOneEarth campaign, WPL’s impactful activities were targeted at encouraging children to be more sensitive towards the environment in order to ensure a safe, beautifully preserved ecosystem favourable for the survival of all species.

Starting with a wide-spread tree planting programme, WPL engaged the participation of school children and government officers in the areas of Ugugama, Thalangha and Nakiyadeniya to carry out these initiatives. An engaging quiz competition was then held to improve student knowledge of native animals and general facts about environmental protection, followed by a vibrant art competition themed ‘Protect the environment’, which drew the enthusiastic participation of over 250 children.

A highlight of the day was a waste re-use innovation competition, where twelve children competed in putting together innovative entries made with re-used waste. Three children from each of these competitions were selected as winners and awarded with gift vouchers to purchase school books.  Apart from this, Watawala Plantations also took the initiative to bolster their personal ecosystems by planting native and fruit trees in each of their three estates.

“Watawala Plantations has always operated with the philosophy that the health of our planet, people and businesses are completely interconnected. As a responsible corporate entity that is deeply reliant on the environment, it’s up to us to push for impactful change within the industry and drive important disciplines within our operations and communities to secure and sustain natural resources for the benefit of the many generations ahead. This was the vision behind the initiatives our team passionately implemented on this World Environment Day. We wanted to inspire change and love for the environment right from where it matters the most, our children, our future.” Watawala Plantations Chief Executive Officer Binesh Pananwala said.

With a strong set of values and vision, Watawala Plantations powers ahead to further integrate sustainability into the workings of Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector. At the forefront of several social projects, including initiatives that provide clean water to several areas across the island, Watawala Plantations has built itself as a brand passionate about inciting positive change within society and a champion for the environment.

Celebrated annually on the 5^th of June, World Environment Day is the most marked international day celebrating the environment. Led by UNEP and held annually since 1973, the event has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach, with millions of people from across the world engaging to protect the planet. In this year 2022, World Environment Day was celebrated with ‘Only One Earth’ as the theme, focusing on ‘Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature,’.

In light of World Environment Day, the all-new Eko Plasco Material Recovery Facility (MRF) was launched by Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd (CCBSL) and Eco Spindles Pvt Ltd on the 8^th of June 2022 in Wadduwa. The facility was opened under the auspices of Chief Guest Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Environment. The MRF was introduced to support waste management, and to give back meaningful life to plastic waste through recycling, whilst helping to create awareness on responsible plastic disposal.

A MRF is a solid waste management facility that processes recyclable materials such as PET plastic and sells them to manufacturers as raw materials for the creation of new products. Plastic waste is collected via a wide bin and bag collection network, and then sent to the MRF where it is segregated and processed through machinery such as balers and crushers. The baler compresses the plastic into compact bales, which makes it easier to store and transport, while the crusher machine crushes the plastic into granules adding value to the waste prior to it being sold to recyclers.

MRF’s create a positive impact on the development of a circular economy, which is a model which minimizes waste, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and extends the useful life of products and materials. These facilities also help create auxiliary industries such as waste collection which create livelihood opportunities for surrounding communities. The Eko Plasco MRF will act as a catalyst to help educate people on household waste segregation and responsible waste disposal at key locations where plastic collection bins and bags have been established, including at schools, beaches, and other public & private institutions.

Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment commented: “I am happy to see private sector organisations such as Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka & Eco Spindles contribute significantly to the waste management infrastructure in Sri Lanka. Initiatives like the Eko Plasco MRF are of paramount importance as they complement the upcoming national voluntary Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) initiative by the Government of Sri Lanka.”

Mr. Mayank Arora, Managing Director, Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka noted: “The Eko Plasco facility was opened as part of our ‘Give Back Life’ programme which is line with the company’s global commitment towards a ‘World Without Waste’ with a goal to Collect and Recycle an equivalent of every bottle sold by Coca-Cola by 2030. Investing in MRFs in partnership with Eco Spindles, will greatly scale up our waste collection efforts, and align with the national voluntary EPR initiative that will be launched very soon. We are also happy to announce that we intend to establish 6 more MRF’s in the near future with funding support from The Coca-Cola Foundation together with Eco Spindles and our implementing partner Janathakshan.”

The facility will collect approximately 10,000kg of plastic every month via collection points and after processing, will be sent over to Eco Spindles, Sri Lanka’s largest plastics recycler, whose synthetic yarn production facility is also one of the only two plants in the world with the capability to create yarn directly from flakes. Eco Spindles converts the material into yarn & monofilaments which are used to manufacture household items such as brooms, brushes, and textiles and exports these products to over 15 countries. The yarn was notably used to create the uniform recently worn by the Sri Lankan Cricket Team.

Mr. Manoj Udawatte, Chief Executive Officer of Eco Spindles Recycling shared his thoughts on the project “Partnering with CCBSL has enabled us to set up our first MRFs and strengthen the process of waste collection and recycling. The Eko Plasco facility in Wadduwa is a testament to this and we hope to open at least one MRF in every district going forward. At full capacity, these facilities will contribute to approximately 300 direct job opportunities and approximately 30,000 Kg of waste being redirected from landfills to recycling per MRF. MRFs are comprehensive facilities embodying social, environmental, and financial sustainability.”

Mr. Malindu Liyanage, Managing Director of Eko Plasco shared his thoughts on the facility, “I have always wanted to give back to the planet. This venture has not only brought to light my mission in life, but also provided a means of giving back to the community by providing people job opportunities. Through the setting up of the MRF I am now able to collect several types of recyclable waste from the environment, predominantly PET and other plastics, and even metal, glass, cardboard, polythene and cans which provides good financial incentives. The support I have received from CCBSL, and Eco Spindles has been invaluable in establishing this facility, providing us with essential machinery and collection bins/bags and they continue to support us in helping us grow”.

MRFs are a game changer in the nation’s waste management sector as they provide significant economic benefits to Sri Lanka and livelihood opportunities. It also benefits the country greatly as the exports of material from Eco Spindles generates much needed foreign currency in the current context. Coca-Cola, Eco Spindles, and their partners will continue to support facilities like Eko Plasco in order to create a positive impact on the environment and the communities.

Photo Caption

Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary, Ministry of Environment at the Eko Plasco Material Recovery Facility (MRF) launch with the Country Leadership team of Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka and Senior Management team of Eco-Spindles

-SLT-MOBITEL Marks World Environment Day 2022 at HQ

-Successfully concludes 5th Mee Tree planting Programme at Meerigama

 Committed to driving sustainable Environmental Social Governance programs (ESG), to fight against climate change, SLT-MOBITEL marked the world environment day by concluding its 5^th Mee tree planting initiative at Meerigama. SLT-MOBITEL embarked on this national level Tree planting initiative with an aim to improve the quality of air, promote forestation, natural carbon sinks and reduce greenhouse gases and safeguard biodiversity across multiple areas in the country. Driving the true spirit of sustainability, SLT-MOBITEL understands the intrinsic importance of a greener earth, the direct benefits of healthy plants on human health and wellbeing and the need to restore nature, halting and reversing climate change to sustain humanity for generations to come.

Launched under the theme ‘Let's nourish the country with clean air and fertilizer’ ‘රට පුරා හුස්මයි පොහොරයි වගා කරමු’ brings into focus the critical importance of preserving eco-fragility for collective well-being.

The ‘Mee’ tree was chosen considering believes its contribution to pest control, ability to be used in the production of organic fertilizer, capacity to purify air and its use as a medicinal plant. To-date SLT-MOBITEL have distributed and planted over 1000 trees across locations including Monaaragala, Umandawa, Anuradhapura, and Kandy.

World Environment Day is celebrated annually in June and recognised as the United Nations’ principal amplifier to encourage awareness and action for the protection of the environment. To commemorate the event, SLT-MOBITEL organised an internal event at the headquarters where employees of SLT-MOBITEL received plants. Further, the company also successfully concluded its 5th Mee tree planting programme at the Seth Sevana Elders home in Meerigama. Strengthening the programme, SLT-MOBITEL is working hand in hand with local communities, and grassroots organisations providing opportunities for tangible change and collective action.

For SLT-MOBITEL, planting Mee trees is not only about a cure to save the ecosystem and environment but also part of a strategic framework to integrate environmentally conscious business practices, strong social responsibility, and corporate governance aspects. 

As the National ICT Solutions Provider, SLT-MOBITEL, has a strong environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitment measuring and managing its impacts on society and the environment in an efficient and responsible manner. Under its ESG protocols, the Mee Tree programme seeks to improve the environment and empower communities across Sri Lanka. The Mee Tree drive in addition to improving air quality and mitigating climate change, also promotes better pest control, healthier soil and aims to enhance natural humidity. A notable feature of the programme is governance through KPI’s including geo tagging the plants and their ownership. Using modern technology, the 'THURU' mobile application is used to monitor the progress of the project.

Broadening its environmental stewardship, SLT-MOBITEL also engages in other initiatives such as e-Waste reduction and minimising its carbon footprint. Responsible waste management is repeatedly conducted through re-use and recycling while ongoing concerted efforts ensure reducing the carbon footprint of the organisation and of customers.

Vision Care, Sri Lanka’s largest vision and eye wear solutions provider, is marking World Environment Day 2022 and also stepping forward to provide support to the national effort to reduce energy consumption and thereby save valuable foreign exchange for the country by encouraging a number of simple steps all employees are to take to increase energy efficiency in their office environment.

When a Vision Care employee is the last person to leave a room, they turn off all lights especially when closing up at the end of the work day. In a room with lesser number of people unnecessary lights are switched off without disrupting the lighting levels. Employees are encouraged to use bicycles as much as possible when running their daily errands. They have readily embraced this change and some employees have even commenced commuting to work on their bicycles. Using bicycles saves fuel and also helps to boost the individual’s fitness levels. All air conditioners are turned off when not in use and the temperature is slightly increased to a comfortable level when there are less people in the room. With cold, wet weather prevalent these days, the use of fans instead of air conditioners have also increased. Turning off and unplugging all unused electrical devices is another way of saving electricity that is practiced at Vision Care. Additionally, office tasks that can be grouped together into one batch are planned and carried out on a particular device instead of turning it on and off periodically throughout the day. With computers being widely-used in all offices by almost all employees, they can make a significant impact to save energy. When a Vision Care employee is leaving work for the day, they always shut down their computer. When they are away from their seat, they switch off the monitor and also use in-built features such as sleep/hibernation mode to save energy.

Vision Care has also given prominence to this company-wide national effort to reduce energy consumption on their social media platforms with the aim of educating their large number of customers and followers by posting these useful tips under the hashtag #LetsSaveEnergy so that they are encouraged to implement them in their office and homes.

Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and held annually since 1973, World Environment Day on 5^th June is the most prominent international day designated for the environment. The event has become the largest global platform for environmental outreach, with millions of people from across the world engaging to protect the planet. World Environment Day 2022 campaign #OnlyOneEarth calls for collective, transformative action on a global scale to celebrate, protect and restore the planet.