BASF, the world’s leading chemical company, together with local and international partners, today celebrated the launch of Project REPLACE (Restoring the Environment by promoting biodegradable Plastic Resources) in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
This is the first step undertaken by the project initaitors to endorse the use of certified compostable bags made with BASF’s ecovio® / ecoflex® to efficiently and effectively manage organic and biodegradable waste in Sri Lanka.
Witnessing the launch event at Taj Samudra, Colombo were key government officials, policymakers, waste management companies, representatives from Colombo Municipal Council, Urban Councils, ITIs, convertors, top hotel chains, food cities and shopping malls. All together, three educational sessions are planned in the city of Colombo with an aim to faciliate major stakeholders to switch to certified compostable plastic bags.
The central idea of the initiative is to create awareness, engage partners, educate stakeholders and achieve sustainability goals in waste management. To this end, mobile awareness stations are planned at prominent locations in the city of Colombo to create necessary awareness among the public about the need to dispose garbage responsibly.
It also aims to inculcate the habit of source segregation of waste. Short video clips on the subject will also be screened. As part of the project, waste bins will also be installed in the city of Colombo and the organic waste collected will be then be taken to a composting plant, where it will be converted to compost for agricultural use.
Certified compostable bags enable the hygienic collection of organic waste: they prevent liquid leaking from organic waste and keep ou tunpleasant odors. Additionally, as the bags are certified compostable, it can be processed immediately upon arrival at composting site, to be quickly converted into high quality compost without the need to first separate out non-organic or non-biodegradable waste.
This nutrient-rich compost in turn helps improve the soil quality,treat loss of arable land and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. BASF has already been involved in several projects worldwide to demonstrate the potential of composting as a feasible and effective waste management option for organic waste.
The REPLACE project is partially financed by Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft, and implemented by BASF and Asia Society for Social Improvement & Sustainable Transformation in association with the National Cleaner Production Center.
ecovio® is made of the partially bio-based ecoflex® and PLA (polylacticacid). Like the biodegradable waste itself, the ecovio® waste bags are completely broken down by microorganisms with the aid of enzymes. At the end of the composting process, the microorganisms have completely converted the bags into carbon dioxide, water and biomass. The bags can help reduce the amount of organic waste that ends up in the regular garbage cans, contribute to protecting the environment and also lower the disposal costs for residual waste.
About BASF Sri Lanka
BASF has had an association with Sri Lanka for almost 75 years now. With 56 employees, and a state-of-the-art warehousing complex at Sapugaskande, BASF registered sales of €20 million to customers in Sri Lanka in 2012. BASF in Sri Lanka also contributes to the local community with initiatives that support relief and rehabilitation efforts.
About BASF
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of €72.1 billion in 2012 and more than 110,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.
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