In a significant step towards sustainable manufacturing, reducing plastic pollution and creating local employment, Britol and the Antler Group of Companies have partnered with GP Certified to integrate certified recycled plastics into the large-scale production of their products.

The initiative marks a notable milestone for Sri Lanka’s plastics and recycling industry. At present, most brands in Sri Lanka rely on virgin plastics for packaging, meaning that products ranging from shampoos to household cleaning liquids are typically packaged in bottles made from imported plastic that is used once and then discarded.

Departing from this traditional model, the Antler Group of Companies has begun using safe, ethically produced and cost-effective GP Certified recycled plastics to replace up to 40% of imported virgin plastic with locally recycled materials in selected products within its Britol range.

Chairman of the Antler Group of Companies, Ashani Jayasinghe, said sustainability has guided the company’s operations for more than four decades.

“For over four decades, sustainability has guided Antler’s journey, shaping how we innovate, manufacture and lead. Through the GP Certified programme, Antler and the Island Climate Initiative are setting new standards, enabling manufacturers, partners and communities to participate in a circular and environmentally responsible system,” Jayasinghe said.

The partnership is expected to strengthen Sri Lanka’s recycling ecosystem while supporting the transition towards more sustainable packaging solutions in the manufacturing sector.

Chaminda Rajapakse, Managing Director of GP Certified, expressed: “This partnership with Antler represents a critical step in mainstreaming certified recycled plastics within the FMCG sector. This milestone directly supports the rollout of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Sri Lanka by providing FMCG companies with a credible, local compliance pathway.”

“GP Certified enables brands like Britol to meet EPR obligations through verified recycled content, traceability, and accountable downstream processing, reducing reliance on offsets or non-circular disposal. By linking compliant producers with certified recyclers, GP Certification helps translate EPR from a regulatory requirement into a practical, scalable market mechanism that strengthens domestic recycling and closes the loop.”

This initiative was supported by the PLEASE project which was funded by the World Bank and implemented by the South Asia Co-operative Environment Program (SACEP).

Picture: Lalith Wijerathne General Manager Antler Industries, Dananjaya Therenakon General Manager Antler Industries, Suranga Gallage CEO Antler group, Ashani Jayasinghe Chairman/ Managing Director Antler group, Chaminda Rajapakse Managing Director, GP Certified, Yugantha Perera Chief Technical Officer, GP Certified, Treshan Meloney Assistant Marketing Manager, GP Certified