Hayleys PLC owned, Talawakelle Tea Estates won two National Green Awards at the Presidential Environmental Awards ceremony at the BMICH under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena recently.
Radella Estate in Nanuoya won a silver award and Deniyaya Estate won a merit award for its environmental sustainability practices, in the Food and Beverages category.
“Sustainability perspective is a focal point in our operations. We believe that the implementation of environmental and biodiversity conservation management practices through our adherence to Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Network certification guidelines greatly contributed towards securing these awards,” said General Manager, Sustainability and Quality Management Development, Talawakelle Tea Estates, Theja Dharmaratne.
Congratulating the teams at Radella and Deniyaya Estates, Dharmaratne said, “These prestigious National awards honour not only the respective estates but also Talawakelle Tea Estates and Hayleys as a whole.”
The honours were awarded following a careful evaluation and a rigorous site inspection conducted by a panel of judges appointed by the Central Environmental Authority, confirmed the media announcement.
The Presidential Environmental Awards recognize and honour Sri Lanka’s best industrial and service sectors, individuals and non-governmental organizations for their excellent performance towards greening the economy. Apart from the Rainforest Alliance Certification, Talawakelle Tea Estates has obtained Ethical Tea Partnership-UK and UTZ Sustainable Tea certification for most of its estates. In addition, Hayleys plantations has adopted several energy conservation measures such as installation of energy efficient capacitor banks, machinery, equipment and lighting as well as regular awareness programs for employees and resident communities.