Marking a milestone in their journey towards sustainability, Coca-Cola
Beverages Sri Lanka (CCBSL) and Ceylon Cold Stores Elephant House (EH) created history in Sri Lanka
as they joined forces to enhance recyclable plastic collection along the Central Expressway. The
partnership marks the joint responsibility of CCBSL and EH contributing towards Extended Producer
Responsibility and recycling, as they commemorate the partnership in the month of World Recycling
Day and International Day of Zero Waste.
CCBSL, EH, together with John Keells Group’s social entrepreneurship project ‘Plasticcycle’ and Eco
Spindles are partnering with the Road Development Authority (RDA) to establish 16 recyclable plastic
collection points across the Central Expressway. The initiative was launched in the presence of Chief
Guest Mr. Anura Kehelella, Additional Director, Expressway Operation, Maintenance & Management
Division, Road Development Authority at the Meerigama entrance of the expressway.
With the RDA’s approval and guidance, these recyclable plastic-collection points will be placed on the
Central Expressway, in the exit locations of Mirigama, Nakalagamuwa, Dambokka, Kurunegala and
Yaggapitiya. Their recycling partner Eco Spindles will collect and convert the waste into bristles for
brooms and brushes and yarn for garments sold locally and internationally. This is a holistic approach to
recyclable waste management in the country with each of the beverage companies playing an impactful
role in the process. EH and Plasticcycle had partnered with the RDA previously to establish PET
collection points on the Southern Highway, and CCBSL has done the same on the Katunayaka
expressway.
The RDA noted, “Linking key cities of the country, we see the Central Expressway playing a vital role in
providing access to timely transportation for hundreds of motorists on a daily basis. Reflecting on their
patterns of waste disposal, it is clear that this initiative encourages proper disposal of plastic waste along
the expressway, which can be recycled into finished goods that also give back to the country in terms of
export earnings. This is an initiative that needs to be celebrated. I invite all corporates in the country to
consider a similar approach.”
Sharing their thoughts on one of their key milestones in the sustainability journey, Coca-Cola Beverages
Sri Lanka, Director – Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability, Thamari Senanayake, said “Much
has been said on waste collection and recycling, both locally and globally. However, the collective action that needs to be taken to make it happen is lacking in many industries. I am proud to see CCBSL and EH
come together for one common cause, putting our differences aside. With this mentality, Sri Lanka is
not far from regaining the environmental and economic prosperity we can attain!’’
Adding further thought, Head of Production and Regulatory Affairs of Ceylon Cold Stores PLC and
Assistant Vice President of John Keells Group’s Ovin de Silva, stated “This partnership showcases the
commitment for two leading beverage brands towards sustainability and supporting the circular
economy. We will continue to work closely with our public and private sector partners in providing
sustainable solutions towards reducing the plastic footprint of our industry”.
Mr. Prasantha Malimbadage, CEO of Eco Spindles Recycling added, “We are thankful to the RDA and
the partners here today for their valuable contribution. Waste management is often spoken about but
rarely acted on. It is refreshing to see these companies pay attention to and prioritize an often-
overlooked problem. Thank you for recognizing our part in building a sustainable economy. We look
forward to working together!’’
CCBSL, under its “Give Back Life” programme, which advocates for a World Without Waste, has thus
far established over 500 PET plastic collection points around Sri Lanka, out of which 21 are large-scale
huts with a capacity to collect 5000 kg of plastic waste. The Coca-Cola system in Sri Lanka also adopted
8 beaches and water bodies in the country, cleaned daily under their ‘‘Adopt a Beach’’ programme, and
established Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) across many districts in the country. Notably, CCBSL’s
efforts towards recyclable plastic collection was recognized at the Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability
Awards 2022, as their comprehensive Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) was awarded under the Best
Sustainability Project Award category.
This project is also one of many initiatives undertaken by Elephant House under their CSR and
sustainability brand ‘Gunadamin’ Elephant House. Elephant House has also invested in MRFs across the
country, providing the necessary infrastructure to collect PET waste. Gunadamin Elephant House,
together with its partners, works with many collectors and recyclers to ensure that PET waste is
disposed of responsibly, ultimately helping to reduce environmental impacts. One of these partners is
‘Plasticcycle’, the social entrepreneurship project of the John Keells Group, launched with the vision to
be the catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka. Since its launch in 2017, Plasticcycle
works in the 3 key focus areas of encouraging the reduction of single-use plastics through awareness
creation, supporting responsible disposal with a network of over 250 bins and promoting recycling and
innovation. .
- Teams from Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka and Elephant House with representatives from the Road Development Authority, Eco-Spindles and Plasticcycle
- Teams from Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka and Elephant House with representatives from the Road Development Authority, Eco-Spindles and Plasticcycle
- From left to right – Supun Udawatte: Senior Executive – Project Management – Eco Spindles Pvt. Ltd., Thamari Senanayake: Director, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability – Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd., Mr. Anura Kehelella, Additional Director, Expressway Operation, Maintenance & Management Division, RDA, Ovin de silva: Head of Production and Regulatory Affairs, assistant Vice President – John Keells Holdings and Dilshani Edirisinghe – Head of Marketing – Beverages- Ceylon Cold stores/ Assistant vice president John Keells Holdings.
- Collection bins
