Though Sri Lanka has seen an increase in recyclers and plastic waste collectors, Covid-19 has presented a new set of challenges.

Mahesh, a collector, has created a living by collecting post-consumer plastic waste (PET and HDPE) from hotels and hospitals in Galle. He has been in the waste collection industry for ten years, which has helped him support his family, including his two children in grades 8 and 2.

Currently, he collects enough PET to fill two Tata lorries because of hotel closures, equaling 1,000 kgs a month. Before Covid-19, he collected and sent four loads, approximately 2,500-4,000 kgs of PET per month supplying Sri Lanka’s leading plastic recycler Eco Spindles (Pvt.) Ltd, a fully-owned subsidiary of BPPL Holdings PLC.

Mahesh’s story is one among the over 200 collectors in Sri Lanka. Making sure that plastic ends up in recycling centers is more than just a job for Mahesh. He is doing his part to ensure that leftovers waste is recycled into new life.

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