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Analysis of solid waste at selected locations within the Administrative District of Colombo during the current Lockdown and Semi-Lockdown periods due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Solid waste management has become one of the major Environmental concerns in the Urban areas of Sri Lanka.

The uncertainty of the composition of collected waste impedes the selection of the most suitable method for waste management in terms of financial, technical and environmental feasibility, resulting in unsuccessful waste-related projects.

Also, it is crucial to obtain relevant and accurate data on contamination of recyclables, along with the segregated and non-segregated percentages to address the need for environmental education in different local communities.

This study determines the composition of daily collected Municipal solid waste generated in different socio-economic demographics within the Colombo District.

A total of 80 representative waste samples were collected using random collection techniques covering the following areas.

• Urban and Semi-Urban
• Residential and Commercial

Initially, the bio-degradable waste content in each sample was weighed as a Kilogram (Kg) at the collection point and the quantity of non-biodegradable waste in each area was accounted for separately, segregating the samples into six categories, namely; plastic, polythene, paper, cardboard, metal, and glass.

Based on the results obtained from all the areas, the percentages of biodegradable and non-biodegradable were estimated as 81.2 % and 18.8 % respectively.The determined percentages of recyclables segregated from non-perishable waste collection were :

• Plastic – 6.06 %
• Polythene – 45.75 %
• Paper – 16.23 %
• Cardboard – 6.91 %
• Metal – 4.08 %
• Glass – 8.06 %

Polythene represented the largest segment of non-perishable waste generated in all three demographic areas which accounted for :

• Mixed-developed Residential areas with mid-to-high income – 46.41 %
• Under-developed Residential areas with mid-to-low income – 34.09 %
• Commercial areas – 79.56 %

The second major component of non-perishable waste collected from the research area was paper which accounted for :

• Mixed-developed Residential areas – 18.6 %
• Under-developed Residential areas – 12.38 %
• Commercial areas – 20.44 %

Most importantly, the findings of the present study discovered that 81.25 % of the collected non-perishable waste was contaminated with other waste, while segregated matter accounted for only 18.75 %.

Further analysis indicated that the underdeveloped Residential areas with mid-to-low income, which is populated with impoverished and low-literacy rate residences has the highest percentage of non-segregated waste, which is 100%; whereas 100% of the segregated percentage was reported from Commercial areas. 

In conclusion, the outcome of the present study emphasized key investment opportunities in Recycling polythene and paper, and the need for conducting awareness programmes on waste segregation and the 4R concept for local communities in the under-developed Residential areas with mid-to-low income households.

ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව වටා තියෙන සුන්දර වෙරළ තීරයේ දිග කි.මී 1340 ක් පමණ වෙනවා. හැබැයි අපේ වාණිජ අගනගරය වන කොළඹ නගරය සමුද්රායසන්න නගරයක් වුණත් අපිට නිදහසේ සුව විදින්න පුළුවන් වෙරළක් තියෙන්නෙ ගල්කිස්සත් වැල්ලවත්ත අතර කි.මී 5 ක වගේ සීමිත තීරය පමණයි. එයත් විශාල පිරිසකගේ පරිහරණයට හා යාබදව පිහිටා ඇති අපජලය බැහැර කෙරෙන ඇළ මාර්ග නිසා පසුගිය කාලය පුරාවටම දැඩි අපිරිසිදු බවකින් හා නිරන්තරව කැළිකසලින් පිරී පැවතුණා. විවිධ ස්වේච්ඡා සංවිධාන හා ආයතන වරින් වර වෙරළ පිරිසිදු කිරීමේ එක් දින ශ්රිමදාන ආදී කටයුතු සිදු කළ ද මේ වෙරළ තීරය යළි කැළි කසලින් පිරී යන්නට ගත වෙන්නේ සුදු මොහොතයි.

මේ පසුබිම තුළ කොළඹ වරාය නගරය ඉදිකරන Port City සමාගමේ අදහසක් හා මූල්යය දායකත්වය මත ක්රිසයාශීලී උද්යෝගිමත් තරුණ පරිසරහිතවාදී ‘වන අරණ‘ සංවිධානයේ අධීක්ෂණයෙන් හා මෙහෙයවීමෙන් මෙරට ඉතිහාසයේ පළමු වරට ගල්කිස්සේ සිට වැල්ලවත්ත දක්වා වූ වෙරළ තීරය දිනපතා අඛණ්ඩව පිරිසිදු කිරීමේ වැඩසටහනක් ‘ලස්සන වෙරළ‘ නමින් පසුගිය ජනවාරි මාසයේ දී ආරම්භ කෙරුණා. ඒ අනුව පිරිසිදු කිරීම් කටයුතු භාර Clean Tech ආයතනයේ සේවක මහතුන්ගේ නිත්ය. රාජකාරියක් ලෙස මෙම වෙරළ තීරය සෑම දිනකම උදෑසන සිට සවස් වනතුරු අඛණ්ඩව පිරිසිදු කරනු ලැබේ.  Read more

Cleantech (Pvt) Ltd has collaborated with the Colombo Municipal Council and the Western Province Waste Management Authority to expand the E-waste collection centres by five more in Colombo. The main focus will be Colombo and suburbs due to the higher volume of waste generated and the latest collection centre down Park road Combo 05 was commissioned on the 2nd of July 2020 with the presence of Mayor of Colombo Municipal Council.

As the 21st century progresses, electronic devices have become an indispensable part of our everyday lives. However, the rush to upgrade to the latest digital or electronic technology has resulted in shorter product lifespans and the increased accumulation of waste. Electronic waste or E-waste is now one of the most critical environmental issues of our time, especially in Sri Lanka.

With this increase of discarded E-waste that includes; mobile phones, computers and home appliances like toasters, mixer blenders, etc., there is a rising threat of several health and environmental risks. The risks include the pollution of water and soil, the release of toxic fumes into the air, and health issues to the population.

Cleantech, Sri Lanka’s pioneering environmental solution company, is tackling this concern by offering solutions that have sparked an E-waste revolution. Cleantech works together with the general public to responsibly collect disposed electronics.

The E-waste is sent to Cleantech’s pre-processing facility for treatment, where the electronics are deconstructed to segregate plastics and metals. The relevant components are then exported to Japan and Belgium for further recycling and precious metal extraction. The company also ensures that private information on the devices like mobile phones are physically destroyed to protect their customers’ security and privacy.

Cleantech is the waste management servicing business of the Sri Lankan conglomerate giant Abans Group. It was founded in 2003 as a solid waste management company, and eventually ventured into e-waste management in 2014. Cleantech works on the premise of ‘enhancing waste management, for a better tomorrow’. The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) now lists the company as an authorised E-waste recycler. They also possess an international BASEL clearance to export Sri Lanka’s electronic waste to Japan and Belgium. In addition to E-waste, Cleantech also recycles rigifoam, plastics, and paper.

It’s your time to join the E-Waste revolution, please contact 011 2368768 for more information.

Chandani Bandara Foundation Organized a women’s day Celebration and a gift distribution with our city beautification ladies as a tribute for their invisible and silent service rendered to keep the crowded city clean and pleasant.

Cleantech appreciate generous contribution towards the city beautification ladies and support given to motivate to make our city clean and beautiful.

If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere…

The award ceremony of the “SNAP A NATURE” mobile photography competition organized by Cleantech (Pvt) Ltd, the sustainability arm of the Abans Group of companies was held 05th December 2018 at Abans Environemntal Services head office. The event was held with the participation of guests, company directors and staff.

Ms. K.I. Wijesundara of Abans PLC Kollupitiya was crowned as the winner of the mobile photo contest and she was awarded a Samsung Galaxy S8 mobile phone.

4 contestants won Rs.30000 worth gift vouchers from Cleantech Tree Care Services of Cleantech (Pvt) Ltd.

A beautiful Colombo thanks to their hard work

Working day and night, rain or shine, even during curfews to keep our city clean.

We thank and salute these hard working souls who toil to keep our city clean and decease free. With ready smiles, silently serving all of us, helping make our city a clean and healthy place for all. Token of appreciation given to our Cleantech family to celebrate avurudu

Beauty of Colombo City

Rests upon their Golden Hands!

On Labour Day, Sirasa News 1st Lunch Time Tv organised a special May Day programme to salute the innocent smiles, silently serving day and night to make our city brighter and cleaner everyday.

Cleantech thanks Lunch Time TV crew for organizing a wonderful programme to encourage our city beautification force.