JKH social initiative “Plasticcycle” completes Southern Expressway project
View(s):John Keells Holdings (JKH), which launched the “Plasticcycle” Social Entrepreneurship project in July 2017, recently completed this project on the Southern Expressway.
Plasticcycle has now placed over 100 bins in total across the country and has recently achieved a milestone in ensuring the recycling of over 10 metric tons of plastic waste, an equivalent to 300,000 plastic bottles within the first year of its launch, the company said this week in a media release.
The initiative is aimed at reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka, through encouraging reduction in the use of single-use plastics, supporting responsible disposal and promoting recycling initiatives.
Plasticcycle’s Southern Expressway project was launched in March 2018 by the JKH Group Social Entrepreneurship Initiative together with Walkers Tours Ltd, partnering with Beira Enviro Solutions Pvt. Ltd and the Road Development Authority (RDA) over responsible disposal of plastic bottles along this expressway.
While Walkers Tours came on board as the bin sponsor, the RDA took on the responsibility of collecting the plastics from the bins and Beira Enviro Solutions then recycled these into value added products for sale both in the local and international markets.
48 of these specially designed bins were placed covering all exits of the Southern Expressway stretching from Kadawatha to Matara, initially aimed at collecting and recycling PET bottles carried by commuters.
“Given the positive response received so far, Plasticcycle is evaluating the possibility of replicating this initiative to other expressways as well and would like to encourage all those who travel on the Southern Expressway to bring their PET bottles from home or workplace for responsible disposal into a Plasticcycle bin placed for your convenience,” the release said.