Plasticcycle together with the Sri Lanka Navy embarked on a collaborative pilot project to provide a solution to non-recyclable plastic waste. Plasticcycle will contribute to the development and testing of a prototype chamber for the Sri Lanka Navy, to produce value added products such as flower pots and ornamental statues using non-recyclable plastic waste, which is aimed at being self-sustaining.
The signing of the MoU for this pilot project took place on the 18th of February 2019, with signatories Dilani Alagaratnam – John Keells Group President – Human Resources, Legal, CSR, Sustainability and Vice Admiral K.K.V.P.H. De Silva – the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy.
The technology has been developed by the Sri Lanka Navy Marine Conservation and Monitoring Unit, consisting of a melting chamber and molding machine, allowing the non-recyclable plastic waste to be melted and then shaped into various products using pre-fabricated molds.
The project in its initial phase will be conducted at the Crow Island Navy Camp, where a large buildup of Plastic waste is observed leaving the mouth of the Kelani River and collecting on the Crow Island Beach. The accumulated plastic is collected through weekly beach clean-ups organized by members of the Sri Lanka Navy however, due to the level of contamination with sand and other impurities, recycling of these materials has proven difficult thus far.
Plasticcycle has committed to provide the necessary equipment to improve the process further, as well as to provide the necessary safety gear required for the personnel of operating the machinery. If successful, on completion of pilot phase, this project can be replicated to other parts of the country where the accumulation of non-recyclable plastic waste is significant.
Also in attendance at the ceremony were; Rear Admiral N.P.S. Attygalle – Director General Operations, Sri Lanka Navy, Nisreen Rehmanjee – Vice President John Keells Group & Head of Tax and Social Entrepreneurship Project and Buddhika Muthukumarana – Manager Social Entrepreneurship Project.
“Plasticcycle” is a Social Entrepreneurship Project launched in July 2017 by John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), Sri Lanka’s largest listed conglomerate in the Colombo Stock Exchange operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. JKH provides employment to over 13,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for 13 years. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a Member of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its vision of “empowering the nation for tomorrow,” through the John Keells Foundation.
