INSEE Ecocycle takes steps towards Circular Economy based resource recoveries to tackle national waste issue

Moving towards a ‘Circular Economy’ is an action that many world business leaders, policy makers, academics and NGOs argue is necessary to help solve global environmental and economic challenges which directly link to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12- sustainable production and consumption.

Coming to local context, this is a must call to solve the national waste issues in Sri Lanka and the transition from a linear to a circular economy requires a joint effort by stakeholders from all sectors. INSEE Ecocycle, as a responsible corporate citizen collaborates with partners including government authorities, industries and communities to transform the economy to a sustainable green economy.

With experience in waste management spanning over 17 years of handling diverse industrial waste of over 1,000,000 metric tons with 800 corporate customers and government institutions such as BOI, local authorities etc., INSEE Ecocycle Lanka is currently the country’s undisputed leader and pioneer in sustainable waste management.

In the current expansion to resource recovery based waste management solutions beyond existing cement kiln co-processing solution, the company will make greater contribution to the national waste management with its world-class resources and regional network of group companies in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Indonesia specializing in industrial solutions of the region. “INSEE Ecocycle Environment Solutions” arm includes services such as, laboratory services, training and consultancy, industrial cleaning, specialized logistics service, environmental remediation, emergency response services, e-waste disposal and many more.

By initiating the first ever National Waste Management partners’ gathering for those  sharing the same ideology from industries that deal with various waste categories such as, metal scrap recycling, electronic waste, glass recycling, pet recycling, soap/detergent recycling, plastic recycling, cardboard and paper recycling, yoghurt cups recycling, ship-based waste management, electronic waste, composting and pyrolysis, much interest was demonstrated to create a positive mind set in working collaboratively towards searching for sustainable solutions to the waste problem in Sri Lanka, together with INSEE Ecocycle.

Commenting on the initiative, Sanjeewa Chulakumara, Director, Ecocycle stated, “As the first step of this Industry coalition in the waste management industry, led by INSEE Ecocycle, we are confident of developing a forum emphasising the timely need for a collaborative effort to manage the various waste problems in the country. The aim of this collaboration is to work toward capacity building and providing license to operate for partner members and services to the country holistically. We hope that by working together we can bring about a genuine change in sustainable Waste Management”.

Achieving a sustainable green economy has always been at the forefront of INSEE Ecocycle’s purpose in working to improve the industrial environmental footprints across a wide range of industries in Sri Lanka. The national agenda of the President’s manifesto highlights the need for industries to shift from a linear economy to a circular one, promoting the use of waste from one industry as raw materials to another. INSEE Ecocycle shares the same ideology of the 3R concept; Re-Use, Re-Cycle, and Re-Purpose focusing on creating eco-industrial zones that ultimately paves the way for the green economy.

Sanjeewa further said, “An excellent example of the positive impact created by this collaboration is the initiative carried out by Ecocycle in partnership with the other stakeholders in its ‘City Cleaning Project’ in Anuradhapura, which provided a solution for sorted non-recyclable municipal waste.  This was another successful collaborative effort with different stakeholders including NGO, Urban councils, charitable organizations and Ecocycle.”

Working towards the future of Integrated Waste Management Solutions (IWMS), Ecocycle works to optimise supply chains and provide solutions through partnerships that explore circular economy solutions. For example, rice husk was considered a waste until Ecocycle developed a solution for it, resulting in the rural communities of Anuradhapura, Kekirawa, and Puttalam being benefited by the rising demand for rice husks.

INSEE Ecocycle has taken the first step to facilitate and support in the national waste endeavour with their stakeholders by providing sustainable waste management solutions to Central Environment Authority (CEA), Provincial Environment Authority (PEA), Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), Office of the Registrar of Pesticides, Consumer Affairs Authority, Sri Lanka Standards Institution(SLSI), almost all government universities and national research institutions including coconut, rubber, tea and many more.

Revolutionising waste management, newly inaugurated INSEE Ecocycle’s Resource Recovery Centre will ensure end-to-end solutions facilitating the systematic collection of FMCG and post-consumer waste through comprehensive steps including reverse logistics to collection of waste from general trade and modern trade, segregation, purification, reuse and recycle/upcycle. The cooperation of different recycling partners will secure an upcycling resolution for all discarded goods. Ecocycle focuses on improving to transform the FMCG industry and build a future for Integrated Waste Management Solutions (IWMS), with partnerships with Unilever and other Multinational Companies to promote corporate sustainability agendas contributing to SDG 12 – sustainable production and consumption.

Ecocycle has tried many ways to support the national MSW issue since 2011 via public private partnership providing a solution to segregated non-recyclable polythene and plastics waste material that are processed through co-processing kiln waste management solutions and one of Ecocycle’s best achievements lies in its contributions for alternative fuels that have supported INSEE on its endeavours to reduce the dependency on fossil fuel. All Ecocycle services for corporations, local councils, urban councils, and municipal councils can be obtained with ease of speed and convenience through its digital platform.

With experience and proven efficiency, Ecocycle has the capacity to manage 10,000 – 12,000 tons per year of sorted non-recyclable Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). Taking a step further, Ecocycle now promotes recycling and upcycling for recyclable materials – from industries and municipal solid waste management through the Ecocycle resource recovery centre.

Ensuring high standards of professionalism and best practices, Ecocycle continuously works to develop the waste management industry along with the respective stakeholders to transform the country to a Circular Economy based integrated waste management solutions.