Eco-Spindles launches recycled polyester yarn facility | Sunday Observer

Eco-Spindles launches recycled polyester yarn facility

14 February, 2021
From left: Horana Export Processing Zone Senior Deputy Director SujeewaThilakumara, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, Environmental Pollution Control and Chemical Management Division Director S.M. Werahera, Secretary to the Ministry of Environment Dr. Anil Jasinghe, BPPL Holdings Managing Director and CEO Dr. Anush Amarasinghe, Central Environmental Authority Director General P.B. Hemantha Jayasinghe and Eco-Spindles, Deputy General Manager Manoj Udawatte.
From left: Horana Export Processing Zone Senior Deputy Director SujeewaThilakumara, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, Environmental Pollution Control and Chemical Management Division Director S.M. Werahera, Secretary to the Ministry of Environment Dr. Anil Jasinghe, BPPL Holdings Managing Director and CEO Dr. Anush Amarasinghe, Central Environmental Authority Director General P.B. Hemantha Jayasinghe and Eco-Spindles, Deputy General Manager Manoj Udawatte.

Pioneering Sri Lankan plastic bottle recycler and manufacturer of polyester yarn and monofilaments, Eco-Spindles (Pvt.) Ltd commenced Phase 2 of its expansion to add 20,000 sq. ft of production space at its state-of-the-art facility in Horana. When completed, the expanded facility will double polyester yarn production capacity at Eco-Spindles.

“All over the world, people are waking up to the urgent need to create and enter a circular economy. The expansion of our Horana facility is another vital step in this direction,” BPPL Holdings Managing Director and CEO, Dr. Anush Amarasinghe said. Eco-Spindles is a value-added exporter of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste bottles in Sri Lanka, and is on a mission to reverse the island’s environmental degradation by converting PET bottle waste, that would otherwise end up polluting sensitive eco-systems, into export quality products that have since captured extensive market share across the globe.

“As the only other entity in the world that is capable of directly manufacturing polyester yarn out of recycled PET flakes, we are extremely well-positioned to capture the rapidly increasing demand for such products. In this manner we are able to generate vital foreign exchange for the national economy, while at the same time, helping to reverse one of the most serious environmental threats of our time using a raw material that we had all considered to have only one use. These are exactly the kind of solutions that hold the key to a sustainable future for Sri Lankans today, and for all future generations,” Dr. Amarasinghe said.Eco-Spindles is equipped with the resources to generate 700 tonnes of recycled polyester yarn per annum. With the completion of its expanded production facilities, this capacity is targeted to increase by a further 900 tonnes in the annual production. This represents more than double its current capabilities. PET plastics are currently the most recycled plastic in the world, amounting to over 57% of the global recycled plastics market. During 2019/20, Eco-Spindles had recycled over 81 million PET bottles, amounting to around 2.3 million kilograms of PET. 

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