MWRP Sri Lanka: Partnering with the Private Sector to Reduce Plastic Waste from Tourism

Tourism remains a critical economic sector in Sri Lanka following the end of the country’s long civil war. Many new hotels, guesthouses, and other businesses cater to both domestic and international tourists. However, there is limited capacity and planning for managing the growing amount of solid waste from this sector, much of which ends up as marine plastic pollution.

In Arugam Bay, a booming tourist destination on the east coast of the country, the Waste Less Arugam Bay (WLAB) project aims to change behaviors related to plastic pollution of three key demographic groups: school children, small business owners, and tourists. Key areas of focus include educational activities, establishing a waste segregation system for plastics in the municipality, and working with local tourism sector businesses to separate plastics, reduce plastic consumption, and collect recyclable plastic waste for sale to recycling companies.