The project aimed at implementing one of the actions stated in Waste Management Strategy and Action Plan (WMSAP) for Negombo City.

During the consultative process for the development of Waste Management Strategy and Action Plan (WMSAP) for Negombo City, it was discovered that lack of a well-managed Resource Recovery Center (RRC) is one of the major factors hindering the sustainable waste management in Negombo City. Base on the discussion, an action “3.2. Setting up Resource Recovery Centre (RRC)” was included in the WMSAP. Considering the need for establishing RRC in Negombo City and a strong interest from Negombo Municipal Council (NMC), IGES Centre Collaborating with UNEP on Environmental Technologies (CCET) with the assistance of Janathakshan, an NGO and a local partner, has been providing technical assistance to NMC in the establishment of RRC as a pilot project.

After construction of RRC, NMC in consultation with CCET would like to operate the constructed RRC in a PPP model where the operator will be selected through the open bidding process. Regarding the construction of RRC, the city has completed the construction of the foundation of the RRC in early March 2021 and it is now working on the completion of overall RRC.

As a pilot wards, NMC had proposed to focus on three selected wards (Bazar II, Munnakkaraya and Kadolkale) for conducting a survey and awareness-raising programs. In this regard, CCET has already conducted a survey in pilot wards during July, 2020. Based on the survey results, the awareness program was designed and being conducted in pilot wards with the assistance of Janathakshan in coordination with NMC and CCET. The survey aims to aware and encourages pilot wards to segregate their waste into organics, recyclables, and non-recyclables where they can sell the recyclables to the RRC and handover the organics and non-recyclables to the NMC collectors.