In Sri Lanka, sustainability is not just a buzzword; it is a way of life that strives to meet the needs of modern travellers while respecting and conserving the environment for future generations.
Two organisations in Sri Lanka are succeeding in different ways. While Jetwing Hotels concentrates on self-sufficiency by generating its own utilities, Earthbound Creations specialises in the production of recycled products.
Jetwing Hotels in Sri Lanka
Herbert Cooray (1929 – 2008), the founder of Jetwing Hotels, bequeathed his country a chain of delightful hotels, each one unique and all offering the same high standard of accommodation and service. He also left a lasting legacy; his inherent desire to maintain a harmonious relationship between the business, the environment, and the local communities. Guided by this life-long ambition, his successors continue to search for solutions to the challenges presented by the need for sustainability.
I had the pleasure of staying at six of the 31 Jetwing properties and at each one, I viewed the sustainability measures in place. I enjoyed exploring the organic vegetable garden at Jetwing St Andrews, but Jetwing Lake stood out as the flagship for sustainability.
Jetwing Lake Hotel produces 79 per cent of its energy and water needs on-site through sustainable methods. It has been awarded gold medals for this achievement.
The hotel has a field of solar panels that form the roof over their large vehicle garage. Enough electricity is produced for the hotel’s daytime needs, but at night, they switch over to the national grid. The hotel’s water treatment centre collects all the water used in the hotel and transforms this into two grades of water, grey and black.
The grey water is used in the hotel for non-consumptive purposes such as showers, toilets and laundry. The black water is used to water the gardens and the farm. Rather than using a diesel-powered boiler, it uses a biomass boiler. This biomass boiler is fuelled with cinnamon wood, a byproduct of the cultivation. It is also additional income for local cinnamon growers.
Heat produced by this boiler has a variety of uses such as cooking, doing laundry, running fridges and air conditioning units as well as using the steam it generates to cook rice. Staff kitchens at Jetwing Yala, Jetwing Kaduruketha, Jetwing Blue and Jetwing Vil Uyana have also adopted the direct use of a biomass boiler through biomass stoves. A water treatment plant at Jetwing Lake also purifies the water supplied by the city. Treated water is distributed in glass bottles to the hotel’s bedrooms in preference to water in plastic bottles.
For more than fifty years, Jetwing, a family-owned brand, has been a leading advocate for sustainable and responsible tourism. One of their properties, Jetwing Jungle Lodge, is committed to becoming Sri Lanka’s first ‘Net Zero’ resort. A significant step on this journey is the installation of a solar photovoltaic system that converts all thermal energy into electricity.
I watched a demonstration of their biomass boiler. This converts natural materials (cinnamon wood) into biogas, a source of energy for the property. I also visited the water treatment plant that provides water for the property and its small farm. An early morning game drive through the nearby Yala National Park was an added bonus.
This is the ideal place for travellers looking for a guilt-free luxury escape in Sri Lanka. During my stay in Kandy, I was able to visit Earthbound Creations, a factory producing recycled products – another aspect of sustainability – re-use rather than replace.
Earthbound Creations in Sri Lanka
Sagara Ranga Liyanage in the man behind Earthbound Creations. Initially, he trained as a photographer and while pursuing this career, he began a small homemade greeting cards business with his sister.
When his sister moved on, he decided to keep the business going. It led him to a fascination with the concept of handmade paper. This eco-friendly product is unique in texture and appearance. A new chapter to Ranga’s story began with a chance introduction to the export market leading to the growth and diversity of his business. He was further inspired after watching artists in the Philippines creating objects out of paper. He brought this art to Sri Lanka using recycled newspaper. And Earthbound Creations was born.
The production facility of Earthbound Creations is located in Udaperadeniya, a rural area of Kandy. When I visited this facility, I met Sagara Ranga Liyanage. His passion for and his drive to fulfil his eco-friendly dream is tangible. I was impressed by the variety of products the company produces. A small warehouse is crammed with colourful products including place mats, coasters, bags, baskets, bowls, pencils and notebooks. The company produces over ninety different products. It is the diversity of products and mass production that keeps the prices down, that are part of the success of this company.
Some Products at Earthbound Creations in Sri Lanka
Several of these products start with the same process. Pages of recycled newspapers, bought from Korea, are rolled into long thin straws. These straws are then coloured before being flattened in a machine that resembles an old-fashioned wringer. As the technology and machinery for recycling processes are not available in Sri Lanka and the company has built its own range of machinery and moulds. These include a Plastic Extruding Machine, Plastic Shredder machines, Paper Rolling Machines and moulds. Raw materials also include solid waste provided by Kandy Municipal Council which collects and segregates waste. I watched some of the women workers flattening the long straws that will be glued together to produce place mats, coasters, bowls and baskets.
Working on the Machines at Earthbound Creations in Sri Lanka
But not all the production processes take place here. The company still relies on home workers. So, during my visit I was taken to meet two of the workers in their own homes. It was a fascinating introduction to suburban life in Kandy. Walking through the narrow streets, accompanied by the ubiquitous local dog, I ascended some steep steps and entered the living room of a small house. I watched the deft fingers of one of the original home-workers rolling pages of newspaper into a long, thin straw. I was soon to discover it was not as easy as it looked. Next stop, the home of a second woman who was turning piles of flattened, coloured straws into pretty coasters. It was interesting to meet these women and see them at work. Part of the philosophy of Earthbound Creations is to empower women. In particular local women who have struggled due to the Tsunami and Covid but have now found a new lease of life and income.
After returning to the factory, I enjoyed a delicious lunch in the restaurant on the top floor of the newly opened small hotel that adjoins the factory. The panoramic view that embraces the city of Kandy beyond its suburbs and below me a stupa. This stupa is one of only three in Sri Lanka that is not empty but houses a stunning image of Buddha. I was invited to climb up to the stupa, which the local monk unlocked for me. Finally, I browsed the factory gift shop and treated myself to a souvenir fridge magnet – there was so much I could have bought but could not carry home. However, as Earthbound Creations exports to countries such as Italy, USA, Australia, Qatar, Germany, Hong Kong, Maldives and the Netherlands as well as the UK there will be other opportunities to buy their lovely products.
Stupa Near Earthbound Creations in Sri Lanka
These two inspiring success stories beg the question: What can we do to travel responsibly? The simple answer is, we should support these initiatives by sourcing and staying in hotels following truly sustainable practices and buying products made from recycled materials.
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