Marking Global Recycling Day, Nestlé Lanka has teamed up with Chakra Suthra – a start-up focused on innovating solutions towards a zero-waste future.
The company’s signature brand Milo will be the exclusive category partner for aseptic beverage cartons for Chakra Suthra’s smart recycling bin ‘Trash2Cash’, which allows consumers to dispose their plastic waste in exchange for credit. The aseptic beverage cartons thus collected will be recycled to produce stationery at the local recycler Eco Maximus.
Officially launched at the beginning of this year following the successful completion of its pilot project, these smart machines are currently available at 10 outlets of a reputed supermarket chain, at Union Place, Darley Road, Duplication Road, Thalahena, Thalawathugoda 2, Maharagama, Kohuwala 2, Raththanapitiya, K Zone Mall in Moratuwa and Gorakana.
Chief Executive Officer of Chakra Suthra, Dr. Himesh Fernando said, “Trash2Cash was originally designed as an innovative collection platform for plastic bottles. However, when Nestlé Lanka came along looking for a similar solution for cartons we were thrilled. After a few months of collaborative fine-tuning, here we are today with the first ever incentivized carton collection platform in Sri Lanka.It is an honour to work with forward thinking corporates such as Nestlé Lanka and we hope this collaboration would encourage others to join us as well.”
With its steadfast commitment towards tackling plastic pollution, Nestlé Lanka pioneered the switch to paper straws for Ready-To-Drink products in the local industry, starting with Milo, making the entire pack recyclable. Complementing this green initiative, Nestlé Lanka embarked on a series of projects in its effort of creating a circular economy for aseptic beverage cartons in Sri Lanka, whilst also driving a behavioural change among its consumers.
As such, the company helped set up the first facility for recycling aseptic beverage cartons in Sri Lanka together with processing and packaging solutions company Tetra Pak and continuously work with government and private entities to help strengthen the collection and recycling infrastructure in the country. This trial project with Chakra Suthra is a significant milestone in the company’s journey towards creating a circular economy, as it allows consumers to drop off their used Milo Ready-To-Drink packs and other aseptic beverage cartons at the respective collection points, which will then be sent to EcoMaximus to give a second life through the production of stationery items.
“It gives us immense pleasure to collaborate with a like-minded entity such as Chakra Suthra, in our efforts of tackling plastic pollution in Sri Lanka. Our work towards creating a circular economy for aseptic beverage cartons in Sri Lanka saw a ripple effect with the launch of paper straws for Milo Ready-To-Drink packs in 2021, and I am proud of the journey we have come thus far, together with our collection and recycling partners,” said Director, Dairy, Nestlé Lanka, Ruwan Welikala.