Non-Profit Organisation Donates Machines For Clean-Up Of MV X-Press Pearl’s Aftermath

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste, a Singapore-based nonprofit organization, has made a donation worth $180,000 of cleanup machinery to Sri Lanka. The move follows the devastating X-Press Pearl incident. The Singapore-registered vessel caught fire and spilt oil, plastic pellets, and chemicals in the waters near Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital.

The organization’s spokesperson said that over 240 km of coastline has been affected by the incident. It felt the donation was necessary to help in cleanup efforts in the next stage which will focus on retrieving pellets that have become embedded in the sand.

The group started operations in 2019. Its members include companies across the plastics value chain. The donation includes eight machines that can separate nurdles from the sand. Each machine can cover a surface area of around 4,000 sqm an hour.

The donation was made possible by the coordination of the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in Singapore. The handover celebrations were held on Monday in Colombo.

The machines were delivered from Germany. They require an operator each and are extremely safe for those using the machines.

The spokesperson for the Alliance to End Plastic Waste said there was an urgent need to recover as much debris from the sea as possible before the monsoon sets in. The season starts in September or October.

Reference: mfa.gov.lk