Recycling

Wet Waste (Food) Disposal

We employ highly creative wet waste (food) disposal methods. We provide some of our wet waste free of charge to enterprising villagers, who use it on their farms. This approach benefits both the hotel and the villagers, and also helps to protect the environment.

Solid Waste Recycling

All solid waste generated from our hotel is carefully sorted at our recycling centre into groups like glass, plastic, metals, wood and paper. We provide these materials at a nominal fee to villagers who use them in small cottage industries. Items such as soap and candles are recycled for the same purpose. Large plastic bins are given to schools to use as garbage bins in classrooms - this also teaches school children to reuse plastic items. Plastic items are also crushed and exported to countries such as New Zealand for recycling. As some of the people who purchase our solid waste are disabled persons, we also perform a valuable community service in supporting the under privileged. A great demand has been generated among the villagers for our solid waste as we provide it at such a low price.

Waste Water Recycling

Our waste water recycling plant is the most sophisticated system of its kind in use by a hotel anywhere in Sri Lanka. It recycles 70,000 litres of sewage per day. An elaborate purification process ensures that the water coming out of the system is clean enough to use in gardening. The dried sludge, treated to ensure it is safe, is used to make organic fertilizer, which we sell at a nominal fee. Wet sludge is used in our compost pits to make 100% natural fertilizer by combining with leaves and other natural materials. Our purification processes are regularly checked by scientists from the University of Peradeniya, to ensure compliance with the highest possible standards.

7R Recycling & Conservation System

We have graduated from a "Three R" to a "Seven R" recycling and conservation system:

1. Reject

Many bio non degradable packaging material
Many plastic items

2. Reduce

Consumption of energy, “switching off policy”
Consumption of fresh water,
     “closing tap policy”
     Reducing flushing system capacity
     Immediate repair of leaks
     Many plastic items
Packaging material at purchase point and by purchasing in bulk
Transport with better logistics
Exhaust emissions by switching off engines of stationary vehicles
Polythene material

3. Reuse

One side written paper
Shampoo containers in rooms
Plastic liquid containers distributed to the community
Empty clay pots of curd for road maintenance and building walls
Wet garbage as food for farm animals
Cardboard
Glass Bottles

4. Reclaim

Sludge from sewage and wastewater to make compost manure
Fruit peel for jam and chutney manufacture
Half-burnt candles for reuse as wax for natural torches
Waste heat from chillers and boilers
Recovered flooring timber for bed paneling

5. Repair

All broken steel and wooden furniture

6. Replace

All possible plastic items with biodegradable material
Detergents with boron and phosphorus free items
Oil based paints with water-based emulsions
Equipment using CFC’s with ozone friendly technology
Tungsten filament bulbs with CFL s and fluorescents

7. Recycle

Waste water
Waste cooking oil
Waste engine oil
Waste paper with elephant dung
Plastic waste
Metal cans
Scrap metal
Glass scrap
PET bottles