Sri Lanka takes steps towards circular economy with GP Certified plastics

• ICI says with GP certification, plastic waste becomes useful, empowering communities, strengthening local businesses
• Sri Lanka generates thousands of tonnes of plastic waste annually, yet only 4% is recycled
• GP certification provides recyclers with clear industry guidelines to ensure plastics are recycled to higher standards under safe, ethical and environmentally responsible conditions

By Pranavesh Sivakumar

In a bid to uplift Sri Lanka’s recycling standards, Island Climate Initiative (ICI) officially launched GP (Good Practise) Certified, Sri Lanka’s first certification mechanism for high-quality recycled plastics. Key stakeholders, including fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands, policymakers and environmental advocates, came on to one platform this week, promising to better handle plastic waste management towards sustainable packaging in Sri Lanka.

“In Sri Lanka, what happens is that you don’t do it properly. You don’t wash it properly; you don’t sort it properly. So, you recycle it and turn it into roadside things. That cannot be recycled again. You use them once and you throw them away. What we’re doing is bringing the recycling product to a certain standard, so there’s true circular recycling,” said ICI Managing Director Chaminda Rajapakse, speaking at the launch.

He added that with the GP certification, plastic waste becomes useful, empowering communities, strengthening local businesses, saving foreign exchange and protecting the island’s natural beauty. Sri Lanka generates thousands of tonnes of plastic waste annually, yet only 4 percent is recycled. Most plastic waste is either burnt or dumped into landfills, polluting oceans and waterways. GP Certified aims to change this by promoting better recycling practices and encouraging the FMCG companies to use recycled plastics in their packaging. This will reduce the reliance on imported virgin plastics, thereby less plastic waste will enter the environment.

The GP certification provides the recyclers with clear industry guidelines to ensure plastics are recycled to higher standards, under safe, ethical and environmentally responsible conditions. This means the FMCG companies can confidently and safely use the recycled plastics in their packaging, supporting a more sustainable circular economy.

A key feature of GP Certified is its certification label, which will be displayed on the FMCG packaging made with verified recycled plastic. This label guarantees that the packaging meets strict standards across three key areas: safety – ensuring that recycled materials comply with health and hygiene requirements, quality – verifying durability and usability in packaging applications and sustainability – promoting ethical sourcing and responsible waste management. This initiative will also help the recyclers adopt best practices, provide better working conditions and drive demand for recycled plastics in Sri Lanka’s FMCG sector.

GP Certified is funded by the PLEASE Project, implemented by the South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme, supported by the World Bank, with implementing support from UNOPS.

From left: Island Climate Initiative Director Chaminda Rajapakse, Island Climate Initiative Finance and Investment Advisor, Natasha Silva, Island Climate Initiative, Project Manager, Irushinie Wedage, Island Climate Initiative, Yugantha Perera, Chief Technical Officer, Island Climate Initiative, Market Development, Rimash Rahman  

PIC BY PRADEEP PATHIRANA