Colombo, Tuesday 10th January 2023: Cinnamon Grand Colombo in partnership with Eco-Friendly Volunteers launched a Zero Waste School Project to create awareness on the importance of respect for nature, zero waste methods and the benefits to the environment through proper waste management. The pilot project initiated by Cinnamon Grand Colombo for the first time in Sri Lanka is being carried out under the guidance of Kanchana Weerakoon– Ecologist, Founder and President of Eco-Friendly Volunteers.
The inaugural programme was carried out recently at St. Michael’s College, Colombo 3 where students and teachers were educated on working towards converting their school to a “Zero Waste School”. An initial training programme was held at Cinnamon Grand Colombo’s eco-friendly and pioneering concept restaurant Nuga Gama. Thereafter workshops and ground-training on waste management was held at the school premises.
Having understood that the root cause of pollution is due to the lack of knowledge, awareness, and respect for nature; Cinnamon Grand Colombo took on this initiative to teach and inspire these students to live sustainably and as responsible citizens, from a very young age.
A series of workshops including the globally accepted 10R concept of Waste management have been conducted for the teachers, students and even their parents. The sustainability arm of the hotel is also working towards enhancing the biodiversity within the school, so that the students can enjoy their environment more and learn conservation methods further. The project is due to be completed by June this year.
John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) remains fully committed to make a positive difference in the communities that they operate in. As a participant of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) the group ensures that the development activities at JKH are aligned to the UNGC Principles, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and national priorities, ensuring a collective and targeted focus towards addressing key universal needs for the holistic development of people, focusing on the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection