MAS Holdings brushes up on paint partners in non-toxic journey

Best known for being the world’s first to introduce the chemical leasing model for waste water treatment in 2015, MAS Active Linea Intimo has now signed on with JAT Holdings for a first of its kind chemical leasing deal that will see JAT teams providing a paint service instead of simply selling a product. 

Reaffirming its long standing commitment towards environmental sustainability and uninterrupted support for innovation, MAS Active joined forces with the National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC), the national co-ordinating and regulatory authority of Chemical Leasing in Sri Lanka, to forge a tri-partite agreement with JAT Holdings, Sri Lanka’s undisputed leader in the furnishing and finishing industry which boasts of an impressive portfolio of products. 

As part of a commitment to be zero toxic in all products and processes by 2025, MAS Active Linea Intimo has taken a stand to reduce chemical usage in their painting operation.

MAS Active CEO Chelan Goonetilleke said: “This is one of the many projects we have lined up in achieving the goal of ensuring our products are zero toxic by 2020. We support innovation across the board and we are committed to ensuring that our journey towards sustainability grows from where we began a decade ago.” 

It took almost two years of diligent trials and tests with several paint vendors to choose the right partner. JAT was chosen as they were willing to try the chemical leasing concept. It’s a model where the vendor as well as the buyer consciously reduce usage and costs. It replaces the old practice of buying paints and painting which results in wasted paint, used buckets and tools which also end up as waste. 

Successful trials of the Chemical Leasing Project have already been carried out at MAS Active Linea Intimo factory premises and the new leasing arrangement will see JAT teams paint the facility and when they leave they take all waste with them for recycling. Linea Intimo has also requested for water-based paints for all processes instead of the heavily toxic solvent based paints. 

JAT Holdings Managing Director Aelian Gunawardene said: “We are proud to be taking the lead in Sri Lanka’s first-ever chemical leasing project of this nature. Having always given top priority to innovation, as a growing company, we believe in a commitment towards continuous research and development of products. We believe this is the key to our success and are humbled in being able to further our efforts towards environmental sustainability. Our intention is to further invest in R&D with the objective of providing a vast array of innovative and quality products to JAT’s constantly expanding portfolio.”

Goonetilleke reiterates: “Reducing and removing hazardous chemicals is part of our chemical management journey as a group and we hope this brings more awareness about the toxicity of everyday products we take for granted.” 

Since its inception in 1987, MAS has evolved into one of the largest conglomerates to operate from Sri Lanka, employing over 88,000 employees in over 50 factories locally and in 16 locations worldwide.  

MAS’s sustainability commitments are embedded in its manufacturing processes and are based on the belief that doing the right thing benefits not only the planet, but also the long-term well being and health of its employees and the larger community. Over the years, MAS has pioneered cleaner production technologies, energy efficiency initiatives, such as its own water treatment facilities and lab, the largest rooftop solar solution and the conversion of its textile sludge to eco bricks. 

In 2016 MAS integrated sustainability into the core of its business through a holistic strategy that sees the group switching to renewables for net positive impact, turning its waste into raw materials and also envisions a goal to replace habitats in 100 times the space occupied by MAS. In 2017 alone MAS has begun replacing habitats in 250 acres – equal to the space occupied by the group. 

MAS Director Environmental Sustainability Sharika Senanayake said: “Chemical Management is a major part of MAS’s overall group sustainability strategy. These are long term commitments we have put much thought into and the journey has already begun. We hope we can shine a light on innovative solutions that will help us fight climate change and inspire more industries to strive to make positive impact on the environment and not simply look to reduce harm.”  

With JAT Holdings moving forward making headway in innovative environmentally sustainable solutions, its prolific growth over the years has positioned it as a market leader in the furnishing and finishing industry. 

JAT Holdings is also host to an extensive portfolio of products across a wide range of leading international brands, including Sayerlack wood coatings of Italy, Herman Miller Office solutions from the USA, Crown and Permoglaze decorative interior and exterior wall paints of UK, Borma Wachs maintenance range of Italy, Norton Abrasives (Saint Gobain) of France and Brush Master Paint brushes. JAT has also successfully expanded its presence internationally across a host of countries such as India, Bangladesh, Maldives and Pakistan.