From right: Trash to Treasure Founder Dhanushka Bandara and a prospect

A platform that has gained its spotlight is the Green Innovation Challenge by HackaDev, an overarching programme led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka, to which Curve Up (Pvt.) Ltd, a consultancy focused on ed-tech and community empowerment, has partnered as its incubation partner.
The programme has drawn some of the most innovative and entrepreneurial mindsets and among them is Trash to Treasure, with its officially registered name Green Solve (Pvt.) Ltd, a start-up that produces charcoal briquettes from organic hard waste, including waste from king coconut, wood and agricultural byproducts. 

The charcoal briquettes involve carbonising organic waste at high temperatures without oxygen, using materials that would otherwise be discarded or burned. The entire production reduces carbon emissions quite significantly.
Following the programme’s inauguration, Curve Up went onto host a comprehensive intro session to the HackaDev Green Innovation Challenge and facilitated workshops and one-on-one coaching sessions to its participants. A milestone plan was drawn up and reviewed by green-tech expert Hasanka Padukka after weeks of collaboration and guidance from the team at Curve Up.

The plan was thereafter approved by UNDP, followed by an MoU signed by the founders of Curve Up for Trash to Treasure. 
Trash to Treasure Founder Dhanushka Bandara also represented Sri Lanka at UNDP and Citi Foundation’s Youth Co:Lab Summit 2023, Asia Pacific’s largest youth social entrepreneurs gathering, held in Thailand, enabling him to showcase his start-up and connect with other peers in the Asia Pacific region. 
A lab test and a site visit by the Central Environmental Authority ensured product quality and compliance with environmental regulations. The team is presently working towards securing the Environmental Protection Licence.

Charcoal briquettes