Sustainability practices

Sustainability practices

Waste Minimization In Textiles

Hayleys Fabrics provides fabric waste scrap to women in neighboring communities, which is subsequently fashioned into wicks for oil lamps and household rugs. This initiative also supports the empowerment of women through generating an alternative source of income. 

Environmental permits/licenses and certifications
Sectors have obtained and continue to comply with a host of environmental permits/licenses and certifications, while frequently receiving awards for excellence in environmental commitment.

Value added initiatives contributing towards environmental sustainability
The Group engages in several initiatives facilitating environmental sustainability that are not directly related to its day to day business activities.

Sustainable management practices prescribed by Rainforest Alliance- Plantations Sector
The Rainforest Alliance (RA) Sustainable Agriculture Network Certification Programme ensures sustainable management practices through numerous standards encompassing social, environmental and ethical practices. The certification centres on compliance to ten universal principles and the subsequent section will detail the Plantation sector’s initiatives and results in complying with the principles pertaining to environmental sustainability.

Aqua-agriculture initiative- Hayleys Agriculture
The Agriculture sector’s aqua-agriculture initiative was launched in the Northern Province in 2014/15, in collaboration with the Coast Conservation Authority, Navy and the Ministry of Fisheries. The project involves empowering fishing communities to produce edible sea weed for export purposes and was introduced with the dual objectives of improving marine conservation and generating employment opportunities.  Participants are provided regular training on cultivating methods and sustainable agricultural practices. The sector has also established a marine research centre to harness research capabilities based on the insights and experience obtained through the project.

Project excellence
Asia’s Responsible Entrepreneurship Award in the Social Empowerment category 2015
Silver Award for the best innovation in 2015
The pioneers of commercial Seaweed farming in Sri Lanka

Tree planting campaigns
In 2016, the Group’s Global Beverages sector planted 300 bamboo and kumbuk plants along the water stream crossing its estate. These trees will provide shelter and food for a variety of birds and small animals thereby enriching the bio diversity of the estates. These trees will also provide shade, reduce water and air temperatures and contribute to the overall health of aquatic ecosystems by providing habitat, shelter and food for aquatic species.

Meanwhile, the freight forwarding cluster of the Group’s Transportation sector annually distributes plants (primarily fruit plants) among schools and pre-schools in the Giribawa region. The number of trees to be distributed annually is decided by a formula considering the volumes that the Freight Forwarding vertical moves by air and sea. In 2016, the sector distributed 375 such plants.

Raising public awareness on energy consumption
The Group’s Consumer sector engages with the general public through structured mechanisms in an ongoing program to raise awareness on the importance of conserving energy in households. This program comprises of several elements;

• Introduce & distribute trilingual energy saving booklets among the general public (including placed of employment and consumer panels) to educate them on energy savings- given to officers, consumer panels
• Distribution of booklets on energy saving measures to educate the general public of same.
• Frequently participate in exhibitions to educate general public on energy saving
• Introduce energy saving calculators in the Hayleys Lighting web site so that general public can track their electricity bill based on number of electrical equipment and usage