Singer spearheads nationwide e-Waste Day

The improper disposal of redundant electronic goods is an issue that has been red-flagged around the world, due to the possibility of serious long-term health and pollution problems.

In 2010, Singer assumed a leadership role in the Central Environment Authority's Electronic Waste Management Project and organized the country's first national e-Waste Day.

Taking advantage of Singer's island-wide presence and reputation for ethical business practices, the initiative engages the public throughout the year in disposing of e-waste in a secure and environmentally friendly manner.

The CEA confirmed that Singer successfully collected 70 tons of e-waste from April 2012 to March 2013. The latest figure brings Singer's tally of collected e-waste to 210 tons since first coming onboard the Project. CEA has commended Singer's efforts for being the top contributor to the e-Waste Project since its inception, and being the only company that has an island-wide collection system and secure disposal plan for e-waste.

The Singer e-Waste Day 2013 which was scheduled for June 1, where the Company carried out a door-to-door collection, for those who call on their dedicated e-Waste Day hotline - 011 5 400 400.

The general public is encouraged to dispose of their e-waste at any Singer Plus/SISIL World/Singer Mega/Singer Home showroom or Singer Service Center. Singer employees will participate in the cause by sorting the discarded e-waste and transporting them to designated locations for recycling. 'The trust that Sri Lankans place on our brand is taken very seriously. We are accountable to a large customer base that is spread across the country. Since a major part of our business involves electronic goods, our CSR efforts have paid a lot of attention to e-waste management,' said Mahesh Wijewardene, Commercial Director, Singer Sri Lanka.

Wijewardene further said, 'we actively strive to weave the threads of our e-waste management strategies, operations and policies, from our manufacturing facilities to our retail operations.'

The Singer factory in Piliyandala has acquired all licenses and certifications needed to comply with CEA's regulations, while the manufacturing factory in Piliyandala is licensed under the Environment Protection License (Section 23B of the National Environment Act No. 47 or 1980).

Further to that, our refrigerator plant that converts our refrigerators to R600-highly-efficient, energy-saving GEO products, is well-ahead in the region for having zero impact on the ozone.

Singer complements its e-Waste Day programme with the implementation of several other e-waste management initiatives that include the promotion of energy-efficient products, educating and empowering employees to actively promote e-waste management, and using a 'green' logo that encapsulates Singer's 'green policies' on relevant publicity material and products, amongst others.