Coca-Cola-Backed Hydro-Powered Recycling Centre Sets New Benchmark in Sri Lanka

Coca-Cola-backed initiative sets new benchmark in Sri Lanka's plantation sector by combining renewable energy, plastic recycling, community livelihoods and environmental conservation to create a circular economy model.

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.