Sri Lanka’s first precious metal refinery using e-waste inaugurated

Ceylon Waste Management Refinery announced the inauguration of Sri Lanka’s first-ever precious metal refining factory, which uses electronic waste (e-waste) as raw materials.
The landmark event held on September 12, marked a significant milestone in the country’s journey towards sustainable industrial development and environmental conservation. 

The factory, staffed by local engineers, managers, and foreign experts, aims to recycle the country’s annual generation of e-waste. It uses scrap printed circuit boards (PCBs) as raw material, requiring three metric tons of PCBs per day for production. 
With an annual production capacity of 300 metric tons of PCBs, the factory requires over 100,000 tons of general e-waste to obtain the necessary raw materials.
The innovative approach is expected to significantly contribute to solving the country’s e-waste problem. 

“The inauguration of this factory represents a critical step towards achieving a sustainable environment in Sri Lanka. By utilising e-waste as raw materials, the factory not only reduces the amount of e-waste in the country but also aids in the conservation of precious metals,” the company said in a statement.

The event was graced by Minister of Industries & Plantation Ramesh Pathirana, and the Guest of Honour was Engineer Ajith Mannapperuma, former state minister of Environment & Sectoral committee Chair into Environmental and Sustainability of Sri Lanka Parliament. Also in attendance were Executive Directors of BOI, Senior Directors of the Ministry of Environment, industrial academics, senior environmental professionals, higher management of banks, leading corporate customers of Ceylon Waste Management Group of Companies, and other dignitaries. 

Attendees were given a tour of the factory, where they had the unique opportunity to witness the precious metal refining process. The Managing Director of the company showcased the extracted pure gold from Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) scrap, which was the highlight of the event.