Largest marine plastic waste stock sent for recycling after MSC ELSA 3 spill

Colombo, July 22 (Daily Mirror) - The largest quantity of marine plastic waste collected following the MSC ELSA 3 maritime incident has been officially cleared for recycling, marking a major milestone in Sri Lanka's coastal clean-up efforts, Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody said.

Speaking at a special awareness programme held today at Sethapola, Puttalam, Jayakody said the government remains fully committed to implementing environmental policies to protect Sri Lanka's marine ecosystem.

The event marked the official transfer of plastic waste and plastic nurdles collected over the past year at the Central Waste Storage Facility in Sethapola for recycling. The waste was gathered during coastal clean-up operations led by the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) after the Liberian-flagged cargo vessel MSC ELSA 3 met with an accident.

The programme was attended by MEPA Chairman Dr. Samantha Gunasekara, General Manager Jagath Gunasekara and representatives of MSC Shipping Company, Interocean, Colombo Logistics and the P&I Club. Agreements relating to the recycling process were exchanged, while MSC Lanka (Pvt) Ltd also presented an interim compensation cheque to MEPA.

According to MEPA, the clean-up operation removed not only plastic nurdles spilled from the vessel but also decades of accumulated marine plastic waste from coastal areas stretching from Jaffna and the northern islands to Mannar, Puttalam and the southern coastline.

Under an agreement with MSC Shipping Company, all costs associated with the clean-up and waste management operation are being borne by the company, allowing the project to proceed without any financial burden on the Sri Lankan government.

The vessel, which sank in May 2025, was carrying 643 containers, including 13 containing hazardous chemicals and 66 carrying plastic nurdles, along with approximately 452 metric tonnes of fuel.

MEPA said shoreline clean-up operations began on June 13, 2025, with the support of the Tri-Forces and the Sri Lanka Coast Guard under the National Oil and Chemical Spill Contingency Plan.

Deputy Minister Jayakody said the programme reflects the government's continued efforts to strengthen marine pollution control and safeguard the country's coastal environment.