30th Thursday October 2017, Colombo: It’s tough for large scale companies to implement sustainability efforts across their organisations but that has not stopped MAS Holdings from trying.
Having integrated sustainability into the core of its business, MAS Holdings has demonstrated that a “Change Inside” that resonates at a personal core is probably the best way to tackle sustainability issues. This approach was recognized by the Presidential Environmental Awards this week where MAS took 7 of the top awards in both the Apparel and Textile sectors.
7 of the MAS facilities applied and was recognized for their efforts and their commitment to sustainability from having basic policies and data gathering to engineering more impactful waste, energy and water saving projects. Auditors also applauded the fixed and regular culture building initiatives carried out by MAS which help both their staff and their communities appreciate and support the environment better.
Each facility scored extra points for specific sustainable solutions and standards such as ISO 14064, solar power projects, biogas facilities, water and energy efficiency measures, sustainable product lines and biodiversity projects.
MAS has a clear sustainability vision it calls the Change Inside where it seeks to generate more renewable energy than it uses by 2025 and reforest 25,000 acres – 100 times the space of its operational footprint. It has also set out clear goals to reduce energy and water usage as well as to become zero toxic in all products and processes.
Organised and audited by the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) the Presidential Environmental Awards seeks to reward the individuals, institutions, organizations and activities which have made unique contributions to the field of environmental conservation and protection.
The awards are given under three categories – Social, Culture, and Institutions. The process of auditing and choosing the finalists took 4 – 5 months with several rounds of auditing and checking of records and verifying projects.