Kotmale becomes first in SL to introduce paper spoons with yoghurt range

Kotmale, the largest private sector collector of fresh milk in Sri Lanka, has introduced a paper spoon to their yoghurt range replacing plastic spoons, which is a first in the Sri Lankan dairy industry. These spoons are made of biodegradable material, significantly reducing the amount of plastic usage in the manufacturing process and taking Kotmale a step further in their endeavours to safeguard the environment. 

Waste plastic has become one of the most pressing environmental issues in Sri Lanka as businesses and factories have increased the production and usage of plastic over the last few years. From a user’s point of view, plastics are durable, light and versatile. The downside however is that they take up to over 400 years to completely decompose. This impacts the environment significantly if action is not taken to reduce usage and manage waste plastic removal in a more efficient and effective manner. Recognising this situation and falling in line with the Cargills Group’s commitment in terms of sustainability, Kotmale took up a challenge to redirect their operations and value chain by integrating sustainability to their manufacturing process through the introduction of new plastic free initiatives. This initiative of replacing the plastic spoon with paper acts as a catalyst in reducing plastic pollution. 

Kotmale has become one of Sri Lanka’s national dairy brands contributing to the nourishment of the country and strengthening the local dairy farming community. Today Kotmale has established itself as the largest private sector collector of fresh milk, collecting over 180,000 litres on a daily basis, working with over 17,000 small-scale dairy farmers’ island wide and generating over Rs. 5.2 billion of direct income annually for the Sri Lankan dairy farming community. Kotmale is a fully owned subsidiary of Cargills (Ceylon) PLC and it saves foreign exchange by sourcing and locally manufacturing value added dairy products. 

Kotmale products offer round the clock nutrition for the family with the largest portfolio of dairy products in Sri Lanka. Kotmale guarantees utmost food safety and unparalleled food quality through careful attention to detail at every stage of manufacturing. Continuous improvements and adherence to quality, safety & environmental management systems are a way of life at these factories. Kotmale’s dairy facilities are accredited with all three ISO Certifications namely ISO 9001: 2015 for Quality Management which assures the premium product quality and ISO 22000:2018 for Food Safety Management System which assures product safety , ISO 14001: 2015 for Environment Management which assures the commitment of the company to protect the environment by minimising adverse impacts by responsible usage of natural resources that helps and protects biodiversity and ecosystems in the surrounding areas.

Kotmale fresh milk comes in different options packaged in environmentally friendly tetra packs which are recyclable, meeting the needs of a range of customers across different demographic profiles. Kotmale cheese wedges have 50% out of the full production volume packaged in paper tubs. At their state-of the-art dairy processing facility, expert teams supervise the manufacture of dairy products ranging from UHT milk, pasteurised milk, yoghurt, cheese, butter, curd and dairy ice cream. The processing facility in Banduragoda is the largest integrated dairy facility in Sri Lanka and has been approved for international-grade manufacturing. This manufacturing facility has also introduced key initiatives namely installation of solar panels to generate clean energy, rainwater harvesting, reusing treated wastewater for factory gardening and waste recycling, integrating sustainability initiatives within their business operations. Kotmale ensures that their products meet the highest quality, safety, environmental and social standards.

Kotmale is stepping up their actions towards introducing new, innovative and sustainable features to their product line. They have also embarked on the journey towards achieving net zero in the future, by obtaining the Carbon Foot Print assessment certification, making Cargills one of the first leading food manufacturing companies in Sri Lanka to obtain the same.