John Keells Holdings and Hemas Consumer collaborate to battle plastic pollution

From left: John Keells Group Executive Vice President, Head of Corporate Finance, Group Tax and Social Entrepreneurship Project Nisreen Rehmanjee, John Keells Group Chairman Krishan Balendra, Hemas Group Executive Director Sriyan de Silva Wijeyeratne, Hemas Consumer Brands Director Marketing Fiona Jurainsz Munasinghe, and Hemas Consumer Brands Marketing Manager Azmara Mennan

Plasticcycle, the social entrepreneurship project of the John Keells Group is pleased to onboard Hemas Consumer, in its bin placement initiative targeted towards encouraging responsible disposal of recyclable plastic waste, adding to the existing network of over 190 Plasticcycle bins in Sri Lanka. The agreement between the two parties was signed on 5 February by the consumer brands arm of Hemas Holdings PLC, with a commitment to sponsor 30 large Plasticcycle bins in the Colombo District.

Speaking on the occasion Hemas Group Executive Director Sriyan de Silva Wijeyeratne said, “We are delighted to partner with John Keells in this social entrepreneurship initiative and support a national cause. Hemas is taking many serious steps to ensure Sri Lanka becomes a cleaner, greener and healthier country and brands like Kumarika and Baby Cheramy are leading the way. We believe that together with John Keells, we can play a big role in promoting responsible disposal and recycling of plastic waste, which is one of the major issues for our country.”

John Keells Group Chairman Krishan Balendra said, “Our Group’s intent through the Plasticcycle initiative, is to bring together and work with like-minded organisations towards realising the vison of this project, of being a catalyst in reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka. We need to work together, towards establishing innovative, practical and sustainable solutions to reduce plastic pollution. We appreciate the support of Hemas in this initiative.”

In addition to the above, Plasticcycle has established long lasting partnerships with the Sri Lanka Recyclers Association (SLRA) and manufacturing companies such as Eco-Spindles (a subsidiary of BPPL Holdings PLC) to recycle and manufacture value-added products from used plastics, such as plastic monofilaments used for cleaning tools and yarn for fabric manufacturers worldwide.

Plasticcycle continuously promotes the 4R’s – ‘Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’, focusing on three key pillars: Encouraging the reduction and rationalisation of use, supporting responsible disposal; and promoting recycling initiatives. The project, to date has collected over 68 MT of plastic waste and sent for responsible disposal. 

Plasticcycle is a social entrepreneurship project of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), premier diversified company, operating over 70 companies in seven industry sectors. JKH provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 15 Years by LMD Magazine. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of ‘Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow’ through John Keells Foundation. 

Hemas Consumer, a leading manufacturer in Sri Lanka’s Home and Personal Care sector is a subsidiary of Hemas Holdings PLC. Established in 1948, Hemas started with a simple intent: to help families live healthfully. This core belief has informed our growth for over 72 years. Today, as a leading public quoted company with over 4,500 employees, we bring healthful living to life through a portfolio of world-class products and services in the Consumer, Healthcare and Mobility sectors. Woven into the socioeconomic fabric of Sri Lanka, Hemas has also expanded regionally with operations in Bangladesh, West Bengal and Myanmar. In its onward journey, we will continue to invest in diverse and passionate teams, create meaningful offerings, cultivate trusted partnerships, and champion a more inclusive world, so that we continue to create positive impact for all our stakeholders.