Sri Lanka’s largest textile manufacturer Teejay Lanka PLC has announced the achievement of an 81 per cent reduction in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from the disposal of sludge waste, after one year of sustained operation of industry best practices.
This milestone in eco-friendly waste disposal was made possible by the investment of US$ 450,000 (approximately Rs 90 million at current exchange rates) in a steam-powered sludge dryer at Teejay’s factory at the Seethawaka Export Processing Zone (EPZ) that enables the Company to convert a daily output of wet sludge into dry powder which is then incinerated at a cement manufacturing facility.
Working with Sri Lanka’s pioneer cement manufacturer in this process, Teejay Lanka had eliminated an independently-verified 1,744.57 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions (tCO2e) between November 1 2020 and July 31 2021, which translates to an annual emissions reduction of 2,326.09 tCO2e.
The Sustainable Future Group (SFG), which was appointedby Teejay Lanka to verify the reduction of Greenhouse Gas emissions from the switch in the Company’s sludge waste disposal method has issued an Independent Greenhouse Gas Verification Statement covering the firstnine months of the sludge drying and incineration procedure, using auditing practices as specified in the ISO 14064-3:2019 Standard.
“Sustainability will always be one of our top priorities, and we are delighted that we are disposingof solid waste in a 100% sustainable manner,” Teejay Lanka CEO Mr Pubudu De Silva said. “We have installed the largest steam operated paddle dryer in Sri Lanka in a demonstration of our commitment to best practices in the industrial context, and we continue to look for ways to minimise the ecological footprint of our operations.”
Wet sludge is generated from the wastewater pre-treatment process of Teejay Lanka. Prior to the switch in the disposal method, significant Greenhouse Gas emissions occurredfrom disposal of the sludge. The gases includedCarbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).
The sludge dryer installed at the Teejay Lanka manufacturing complex at Block D8-D14 of the Seethawaka Export Processing Zone in Avissawella occupies an area of 200 square meters (more than 2,150 square feet) and is capable of drying up to 12 tons of wet sludge per day. It uses excess steam available from the Company’s manufacturing process.
The first textile manufacturer in Sri Lanka to receive membership of the US Cotton Trust Protocol, Teejay Lanka has been adjudged the Best Textile Exporter in the country at the Presidential Export Awards presented by the Export Development Board (EDB) and has been named among the 100 Most Respected Companies in Sri Lanka by LMD.
An ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and OHSAS 18001:2007 compliant company and the first in the industry to develop green fabric, Teejay has been listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) since 2011 and was included in the S&P Top 20 Index in Sri Lanka.
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