Recycled paper:

High demand for handmade paper

Dinesh De Alwis

With the increase of tourist arrivals there is a growing demand for recycled handmade paper products, handmade paper producers told the Daily News.

Handmade paper products are popular among tourists as they are concerned about eco-friendly products.

“Sri Lankan youth also tend to buy handmade products. This is a good move as we can save our environment while protecting small entrepreneurs,” they added.

Handmade Paper is a product that has been made by hand, using natural raw material such as elephant dung, paddy husk, illuk grass tree trunk, banana, tea leaves, eichhornia crassppes (Japan Jabara), cotton dust and waste paper products.

There is a good market for greeting cards, wedding cards, cake boxes, tea boxes, business cards, gift packaging and bags. The Industrial Development Board is consulting people in the industry and providing technical assistance, Camellia Paper Ltd Director, Chamila Nanayakkara said. Sri Lankan handmade paper products have a strong international reputation, Nanayakkara said.

“We have lots of foreign orders but we can’t meet the order quantity as our production capacity is low. A formal Association should be set up to promote the handmade paper industry in Sri Lanka,” said Recycle Cleaner Foundation Head Sakitha Punsekara.