Sri Lankan group moves into e-waste

Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka’s Kalhari Group has gained approval from the country’s Central Environmental Authority for the export of 360 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) to Hong Kong’s Li tong Group for recycling.

The approval, valid until November 1 2012, is subject to compliance with the requirements specified by the Environmental Protection Department in Hong Kong.

The Kalhari Group, which is an established exporter of recycled and recyclable materials, recently signed an agreement with Epsi Computers for the collection and disposal of e-waste as well as other solid waste. ‘Electronic waste is a new area for us,’ says Kalhari’s Chief Executive Kaushal Rajapaksa. ‘We expect to provide Sri Lankans the facility to easily dispose of their electronic waste including computers and mobile phones.’ Kalhari aims to expand the collection of e-waste to the entire country and claims already to have lined up as potential partners some major players in the industrial sector which are e-waste generating companies, he adds.

The Kalhari Group consists of five companies and exports recyclables to several countries, including China, India, Malaysia, Vietnam and Japan.