MAS recognised for contributions towards national effort to reduce plastic waste

Wednesday, 10 February 2021 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

MAS Kreeda CEO Sarinda Unamboowe (left) and MAS Kreeda Deputy General Manager – Compliance and Environmental Sustainability Eranga Dilhan with the award

MAS Holdings was honoured for its efforts towards a national initiative to reduce plastic waste at the recently concluded Inaugural Annual Awards Ceremony organised by Eco-Spindles Ltd.

The award recognises MAS Kreeda’s innovative incorporation of fabric produced by yarn sourced from recycled PET bottles by the local recycled-yarn vendor, to manufacture Kreeda’s trademark high-end sportswear.

Eco-Spindles noted that in 2020, Kreeda’s consumption of such traceable, waste-to-value fabric was equivalent to a little under 18 million PET bottles, which would otherwise have ended up in landfills or polluted water bodies in the country. Collectively, MAS has utilised yarn sourced from over 21 million PET bottles throughout the past year, an indispensable solution supporting the country’s journey towards a circular economy.

“The Eco Spindles Award recognises MAS Kreeda’s commitment to make our supply chains more sustainable and circular, reducing plastic waste as we move together in partnership ‘Towards a Better Planet,’” MAS Kreeda CEO and Apparel Board Member Sarinda Unamboowe commented. “We appreciate this recognition for our contribution towards the effective end-of-life management of PET by re-imagining our manufacturing process, while meeting our stringent quality and performance benchmarks.”

MAS has been actively involved in clearing plastic waste from Sri Lanka’s coastline since 2015 in partnership with the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), Sri Lanka Navy and Eco-Spindles, with many MAS employees volunteering for coastal cleanups carried out across the island. Other such initiatives include partnering with the Sri Lanka Navy to establish over five plastic waste collection centres across the country for recycling. To expand its efforts in addressing the marine plastic issue, MAS piloted a floating trash trap in 2020 named the ‘Ocean Strainer’ in the Dehiwala Canal, trapping plastic waste and preventing it from reaching the ocean through the canal mouth. To find a solution to add value to the PET waste collected from the coast of Sri Lanka, MAS partnered with Eco-Spindles to develop a recycled polyester yarn. This yarn was utilised to produce the Sri Lanka Cricket Jersey for the ICC 2019 World Cup. Eco Spindles, a wholly owned subsidiary of BPPL Holdings PLC, states that 1kg of PET polyester yarn is equivalent to recycling 60 PET bottles.

“Kreeda’s efforts reflect our continuous inspiration by our stakeholders’ long-term commitment towards environmental sustainability and making a lasting, positive impact on our planet. This will continue to be a key focus in our manufacturing and sourcing journey,” Unamboowe added. Kreeda was placed second to Teejay Lanka PLC, followed closely by Hayleys Fabrics PLC at fourth place, both companies within KREEDA’s supply chain and working towards a greater purpose of ensuring sustainability in Sri Lanka’s manufacturing industry.