PRISL Awards and expo to spotlight innovation in polymer industry

From left: PRISL Director General Chaminda Perera, PRISL President K.A.C. Vidyaratne and PRISL Honorary Secretary Pio Perera PIC BY KITHSIRI DE MEL

By Rukaiya Riza 

The Plastics and Rubber Institute of Sri Lanka (PRISL) will organise two major events this year to encourage innovation and sustainability as well as industrial excellence in the polymer industries within the country. 

PRISL Awards 2025 will be held on November 25, 2025, at the BMICH, to recognise the efforts of the plastics and rubber industries of Sri Lanka. The awards honour the best of talent in businesses, individuals, professional and academic realms, in order to promote innovation and national change. 

PRISL President K.A.C. Vidyaratne said, “Now, we are an over one billion export generator for Sri Lanka. We are the third largest sector in Sri Lankan exports, in manufacturing.”

He added, “Last year, we had five categories and 11 awards. This year, we have increased up to 11 categories and 30 awards.” 

Award categories include: 

• Academic Excellence in Polymer Technology
• Innovative Product of the Year (Gold, Silver, Bronze)
• Sustainability – Environmental Responsibility
• Most Outstanding Large Enterprise (Gold, Silver, Bronze)
• Most Outstanding SME – Plastics, Rubber and Recycling (three awards)
• Service Provider of the Year
• Supplier of the Year – Plastics and Rubber
• Sri Lankan Brand of the Year (SME Sector)
• Professional of the Year (Operator to CEO Levels)
• Entrepreneur of the Year
• Most Outstanding Exporter of the Year (Gold, Silver, Bronze)

Transparency and credibility are achieved through independent panels, which consider these awards. The awards are financed by both local and international organisations.

In addition to the awards, an exhibition, COMPLAST-RUBEXPO-COMXPO 2025 (Eighth Edition) will be held from August 29 to 31, 2025, at the BMICH. Being the biggest industrial expo in Sri Lanka about the industry, it will have more than 500 global and regional exhibitors and 300+ companies as well as thousands of professionals, manufacturers and students. 

“The exhibition will comprise around 300 exhibitors, 60 percent of which will be foreign participants. This is a great opportunity for all Sri Lankans to have a peek into the new technologies, new materials, new machinery and new processes,” Vidyaratne added.

PRISL Director General Chaminda Perera said, “This is a business to business (B2B) exhibition. The business owners can come to our exhibition and get the knowledge and have an idea about the industry itself.” 

Key exhibition themes include:

• Plastics and rubber processing machinery
• Smart manufacturing and automation
• Sustainable materials and recycling solutions
• Packaging innovations and engineering solutions
• Applications in FMCG, apparel, construction, agriculture and mobility
• Green energy and industrial efficiency
• Skills, education and career development

Perera further stated, “This is the place where opportunity, innovation and talent find each other – a bridge between Sri Lanka and the world. We are planning to do a job market. They can come and see what is happening and then they can also apply for jobs in the industry itself.” 

“If you are hoping to become an entrepreneur, start a business in the plastics and rubber sector, Sri Lanka has a very good opportunity. This exhibition will be a very good arena for you to see all the new technologies and have some idea of what you can do and what you can accomplish,” Vidyaratne stated.

“We bring the world to Sri Lanka. So, we invite everybody who is involved in the industry to come and participate in these events,” he added

Collectively, these events indicate that the PRISL has taken up a transformative role in the industries in terms of sustainability and knowledge sharing.