Sri Lanka's First Hydropower-Fueled Recycling Centre Powers Circular Economy Model
The Coca-Cola Foundation has backed a new hydro-powered facility in Sri Lanka that sets a benchmark for circular economy practices. The Somerset Eco Material Collection and Processing Centre, established at Somerset Estate in Radella under Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC, is the country's first centre powered entirely by hydropower.
Funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation and implemented by Janathakshan, with Neptune Recyclers as recycling partner and Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC as plantation-sector partner, the facility offers a model for linking waste recovery 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.
The integration of renewable energy and recycling reduces the carbon footprint associated with both processing and collection, demonstrating how circular-economy systems can be designed in an environmentally sound manner. The facility supports the livelihoods of more than 10 informal waste collectors and processes approximately three metric tonnes of plastic bottles each month.