Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

INSEE Ecocycle provides safe disposal solution for cocaine

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The sustainabl­e waste management arm of the INSEE Group, INSEE Ecocycle joined hands with the Sri Lanka Police Narcotics Bureau ( PNB) and National Dangerous Drugs Control Board ( NDDCB) to responsibl­y dispose 928kg 229g of waste Cocaine Hydrochlor­ide through its Cement Kiln co-processing for the first-time in Sri Lanka.

The event was held on January 15 at INSEE Ecocycle Pre-processing facility at Katunayake in the presence of President Maithripal­a Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesi­nghe and other ministers, respective government agencies and industrial experts who are involved in the process of confiscate­d cocaine disposal through co-processing, at the outset of the operation.

A company media release said the waste cocaine was recently confiscate­d by Sri Lanka Police Narcotics Bureau, followed by the verificati­on of the narcotic material under the guidance of Government Analyst Department ( GAD), NDDCB and Attorney General’s Department. After the recommenda­tion of Colombo Municipal Council Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ruwan Wijemuni, advising to safely dispose the material above 1,300 temperatur­e, INSEE Ecocycle joined hands to provide safe and comprehens­ive narcotic material disposal solution.

INSEE Ecocycle has carried out the technical evaluation with the support of PNB and NDDCB on feeding mechanism and pre- processing activities for safe disposal of the dangerous drug whilst minimising the social and environmen­tal impact. The technical evalua- tion included a comprehens­ive risk assessment and mitigation action plan covering all the aspects of environmen­tal, social, health and safety areas throughout the pre- processing, logistics and co-processing value chain to ensure safe and secure disposal.

Nandana Ekanayake, CEO of INSEE Cement said “We are proud to support a national cause of this nature, contributi­ng towards building a drug-free Sri Lanka by being a responsibl­e corporate citizen. Sri Lanka’s only operationa­l Cement Kiln Co-processing facility is in our Puttalam Cement Plant. INSEE Cement has always focused on occupation­al health and safety of all our stakeholde­rs; with this firsttime initiative to safely dispose a socially harmful substance, we are committed to extend our shared value to the nation.”

 ??  ?? Confiscate­d Cocaine being liquefied in an aqueous medium at the INSEE Ecocycle Pre-processing facility in Katunayake.
Confiscate­d Cocaine being liquefied in an aqueous medium at the INSEE Ecocycle Pre-processing facility in Katunayake.

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