A Coca-Cola Foundation-backed initiative in Sri Lanka’s plantation sector is combining renewable energy, plastic recycling, community livelihoods and environmental conservation to create a new model for the circular economy.
The Somerset Eco Material Collection and Processing Centre (MCPC), established at Somerset Estate in Radella under the Strengthening Women and Youth Engagement in Informal Waste Management in Sri Lanka (SWYFT) project, is Sri Lanka’s first material collection and processing centre powered entirely by hydropower.
Funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation and implemented by Janathakshan, with Neptune Recyclers as the recycling partner and Talawakelle Tea Estates as the plantation-sector partner, the facility demonstrates how waste recovery can be linked with clean energy and inclusive economic development.
The centre draws electricity from a nearby small-scale hydropower plant on the Nanu Oya River, providing renewable power for its operations while also charging electric three-wheelers and bicycles used to collect recyclable waste from surrounding communities.
This integrated approach help reduce the carbon footprint of both waste collection and processing while demonstrating how circular-economy systems can be designed around renewable energy.
Located in the environmentally sensitive Nuwara Eliya highlands, the centre also contributes to protecting waterways and the upstream watershed by diverting plastic waste from the environment. Waste is collected from Nuwara Eliya, Nanu Oya, Agrapatana, Talawakelle, Ramboda and Hatton.
The women-operated facility can process around three metric tonnes of plastic bottles each month and supports the livelihoods of more than 10 informal waste collectors.
Mario Perera, Country Head, Sri Lanka and Maldives, The Coca-Cola Company, said the Somerset Eco MCPC demonstrated the importance of bringing communities and the waste collection ecosystem together.
Talawakelle Tea Estates Managing Director Dr. Roshan Rajadurai said the initiative reflected the company’s commitment to renewable energy, circular waste management and community empowerment while protecting the sensitive upper watershed.
The initiative builds on The Coca-Cola Foundation’s longer-term commitment to community resilience and environmental sustainability in Sri Lanka, including earlier programmes supporting water replenishment, livelihoods and women’s empowerment.
Under SWYFT, five women- and youth-led MCPCs have been established across Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Matale and Kurunegala, supported by training, improved equipment and low-emission collection systems.
