Call to develop waste management techniques

by L.S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

Waste management techniques should be developed in Sri Lanka, the Central Environment Authority (CEA) provides assistance to improve the waste management said CEA Chairman Charitha Herath.

He said that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC) with Geo Cycle a member of the Holcim group to dispose of waste generated by the CDPLC is a positive step towards better waste management. The Bluechip companies and medium and small scale ventures have shown a healthy trend in using waste to produce sources of energy. It will become a valuable industry in the country and as such it should be encouraged, he said.

Managing Director CDPLC Mangala Yapa said that he had sought the assistance of a professional waste management body from 2007. Our objective was to setup onsite waste management plants to ensure sustainable ways of disposing waste and curtailing the administrative complexities in dealing with many parties.

Geo Cycle a member of the Holcim group which entered into an agreement with the CDPLC in 2007 successfully completed the task, he said.

CDPLC and Geo Lanka renewed the agreement for another three years last week.

The signatories to the agreement were CDPLC Managing Director Mangala Yapa and Holcim Lanka CEO Stefen Huber.

CDPLC, Sri Lanka's largest engineering facility for ship - building and repairing generates around 14,000 tons of waste annually.

The Geo Cycle professional waste management entity identified some categories of waste such as sludge, waste oil, and polythene which could be used for cement Kiln coprocessing.

They were used to manufacture cement at the Holcim Cement plant, in Puttalam.