Creating value from waste to build circular economy

Seated (from left): Unilever Sri Lanka Supply Chain Director Damith Abeyratne, Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Managing Director Pradip Pandey, GIZ Head of Waste to Value Sarah Goetz, Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Ministry Additional Secretary Maheshika Kodippili Arachchi, Secretary Aloka Bandara, National Solid Waste Management Centre Director N.D.N. Pushpakumara, Nestlé Lanka Managing Director Bernie Stefan, and Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Ministry Additional Secretary Chaminda Pathiraja  

• Initiative under the Public-Private Partnership with GIZ, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Unilever and Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government successfully implemented

On behalf of the German Development Ministry (BMZ), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and three of Sri Lanka’s leading Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies – Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Unilever and the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government came together to form a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) named ‘Waste to Value’ to tackle the ongoing issue of plastic pollution. 

The PPP’s main focus was to strengthen infrastructure on collection, segregation, recycling and upcycling of plastic waste, whilst driving behavioural change towards a circular economy by creating awareness on the value of responsibly disposed waste to livelihoods and the environment. 

In partnership with the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, a baseline survey was conducted on 49 local authorities, to understand the plastic waste landscape of local authorities in the Western Province. Following a thorough review, four key local authorities covering Gampaha, Kesbawa, Homagama and Dehiwala were selected for the project. 

Upon the selection of the local authorities, a detailed waste management plan was created to support the maintenance of waste management in these areas for the next ten years.

The project included building Material Recovery Facilities (MRF). Through the PPP, new MRFs were built for the Gampaha, Kesbawa and Homagama local authorities. Furthermore, a common MRF was built in Wellampitiya, for the use of Kotikawatta-Mulleriyawa Pradeshiya Sabha areas, Kolonnawa Urban Council areas and several local authorities.

Simultaneously, awareness programs and out-bound training sessions were held for the staff working at these local authorities, to improve their knowledge on sustainable waste management practices. The MRFs built were also provided with new equipment to support the local authorities in running the operations of the facilities smoothly. Upon the formal handover of the new facilities to the local authorities, the PPP came to a close.

“The Waste to Value project has been a leading initiative to support our efforts of creating a circular economy in Sri Lanka. Through this PPP, we strived towards building a sustainable plastic waste management system by working with every stakeholder in the waste value chain. The building of MRFs is a step forward in supporting local authorities and working collaboratively to create a cleaner, greener Sri Lanka” said GIZ, Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Unilever in a joint statement.

“As the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, we are thrilled and thankful to receive the support from GIZ and the private sector to enhance the circularity of our economy. This PPP is the start to more collaborations in our journey of tackling plastic pollution in Sri Lanka. Through the building of new MRFs, we are now able to expand our operations in the Western Province and increase the capacity of recycling plastic waste in these areas” said Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Secretary S. Aloka Bandara.