Ideating for Sri Lanka to create Earth Protect Global Recycling Trail through tourism industry

Since its commencement in 2019 the Harmony Page has been engaging with diverse local and global sustainability, renewable energy and earth healing activists, including those promoting indigenous knowledge for the protection of humans and the planet. This is as part of our mission aimed at placing Sri Lanka on the world map in mainstreaming sustainability. We have also ideated towards ushering a comprehensive waste management policy, public sustainability/civic education and creating a national backdrop to prevent disasters such as Meethotamulla.

The pollution of the earth with non-biodegradable products is a worldwide menace as we have written repeatedly in this page. One best way for any country to locally and internationally influence recycling is to activate it within the tourism industry.

Therefore, we propose that Sri Lanka create an Earth Protect Global Recycling Trail through the hospitality and tourism sector. Cited below are steps that we can take to support, create, purchase and use recycled products, thereby encouraging reduction of waste in Sri Lanka and strategically showcasing authentic sustainability to the world.

Primary discussions on some of the below mentioned aspects were carried out with Green Economy innovator and hotelier Mahinda Dodampegama during whose tenure as Nuwara Eliya Mayor, the Sandathenne recycling plant was established.

The below points were also discussed with the Nuwara Eliya Municipality community development representatives present at the Thinking Sri Lanka program launched at the Public Library of Nuwara Eliya on 8 March initiated by Chief Librarian S. Mangalika, and conducted under the authorisation of the Nuwara Eliya Commissioner K.H.H.W. Bandara.

Below are the basic steps to commence an Earth Protect Global Recycling Trail through the Sri Lankan tourism industry.

1.    For Nuwara Eliya and the Central Province as a whole to be a model region in setting up recycling and earth healing units interwoven with tourism.

2.     Recyclable waste collection units to be established through community centric associations within the Central Province, with women’s societies playing a key role. In the long term it is envisaged that every street in the Central Province would have at least one house volunteering to be a collection point for items such as cloth, paper and plastic.

3.     With the help of international volunteers, recycling training will be held weekly, with the aim of establishing recycling entrepreneurs.

4.     It is proposed that the setting up of the Earth Protect Global Recycling Trail be done with the support of the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Aswesuma program in a bid to directly link recycling with poverty alleviation.

5.     For the hotels of the Central Province and elsewhere in the country to extend their support by purchasing the following recycled products and adopting the below mentioned initiatives nationally;

n   Old sarees made into quilts filled with waste such as plastic bags created through recycling entrepreneurship units established through women’s associations.

n    Crochet and knitting created plastic recycled bathroom floor mats, carpets and bed covers to be produced by nationally identified low income households.

n    Bean bags to be made using material such as old sarees filled with waste plastic.

n    Cushions to be created using waste material and plastic.

n    Sleeping bags for camping to be created using waste synthetic material such as raincoats as well as saree/denim material. These to be promoted in outdoor tourism.

n     A range of knapsacks and shoulder bags in differing designs to be created using waste material which can be sold in hotels.

n    It is proposed that every star class hotel in Sri Lanka establish a community recycling entrepreneur unit.

n    It is proposed that every Laksala branch in Sri Lanka establish a community recycle shelf to sell recycled gift packs for foreign tourists.

n   A series of recycling focused Training of Trainers ToT to be carried out through State and Private organisations first in the Central Province and thereafter emulated elsewhere in the country. These ToT capacity building programs to integrate skills such as English and foreign languages and to be held in person as well as via internet through the support of local and international volunteers.  

n       For the National Crafts Council to introduce a separate section on crafts made from recycled items and work with international craftsmen on delivering training for making export quality crafts from waste products.

Note: The Harmony Page will be interviewing hotel industry specialists to provide momentum to the above. We hope to publish these interviews in the weeks to come.