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Nestlé Milo becomes first Ready-to-Drink beverage in Sri Lanka to switch to paper straws

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Landmark move will eliminate 90 million plastic straws a year

Nestlé’s Milo brand announced that it has switched to paper straws for its popular Ready-to-Drink (RTD) variant. This makes it the first RTD beverage in Sri Lanka to offer consumers the more sustainable alternative of paper straws.

The landmark move will enable the company to eliminate 90 million plastic straws a year, and makes the all-new Milo packaging 100% recyclable. This initiative is one of the many actions Nestlé is taking to reduce the impact of its packaging.

In addition, a facility for recycling aseptic beverage cartons has been set up, supported by processing and packaging solutions company Tetra Pak and F&B industry leaders such as Nestlé. The plant will recycle Milo RTD and will benefit the entire aseptic beverage carton industry in Sri Lanka.

Nestlé will leverage its existing schools waste management program, which it conducts together with the Ministry of Education, Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and relevant Municipal Councils, to raise awareness about responsible disposal and collect used Milo RTD packs for recycling. It will reach 250 schools by end-2021. The company is developing more collection and recycling schemes for plastic packaging waste.

“Effective waste management is one of the biggest issues the country is facing now. I’m delighted to see Nestlé voluntarily pioneering the first paper straws for the category, and providing Sri Lankans more sustainable products to enjoy. We hope to see more companies supporting the government’s vision for a cleaner and greener Sri Lanka, to ensure the wellbeing of the country and its people” said Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Environment.

“Nestlé is committed to stepping up to the challenge of tackling plastic waste and accelerating our sustainability journey. This is the first of many major sustainability initiatives we have planned over the next few years. We plan to achieve plastic neutrality by 2022 and make the rest of our product packaging 100% recyclable by 2025. We’re proud to implement key actions that will have a positive impact on Sri Lanka’s future, and are committed to making products that are not only good for our consumers but also good for our planet”, said Fabrice Cavallin, Nestlé Lanka Managing Director.

To support the packaging change, the company will launch wide-scale consumer awareness campaigns to inspire behavioural change and promote responsible disposal.

“Milo has been committed to nourishing the ambitions of Sri Lankans for over 40 years. We’ve enhanced local farmers’ livelihoods by sourcing fresh milk, nurtured sports and talented athletes in the country, and are now proud to take bold initiatives in sustainability. We look forward to playing our part to protect our planet”, said Mohamed Ali, Category Marketing Manager for Milo at Nestlé Lanka.

The company’s other RTD products such as Nespray and Nescafé will also adopt the sustainably sourced paper straws and become 100% recyclable within the year.



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FRELLA launches world class wellness products locally with Baurs & Co.

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FRELLA partners with the French perfumer Véronique Gabai

FRELLA, Sri Lankan-born and internationally-respected natural beauty and wellness brand, is setting the stage to expand operations by entering the Sri Lankan retail market. As the country’s only dedicated wellness company operating at an international scale, this move marks a new chapter for a brand with a growing global presence that has already earned the trust of luxury hotels and international customers.

For over seven years, FRELLA has emerged as Sri Lanka’s leading wellness brand, serving clients and partners across more than 15 international markets. The brand’s entry into the Sri Lankan retail market marks a significant milestone, allowing local consumers to access globally respected wellness products developed from the island’s own healing traditions. This retail expansion is supported through a strategic partnership with Baurs, a trusted 170-year-old Swedish multinational company, ensuring sophisticated distribution and access aligned with international retail standards.

FRELLA is rooted in Sri Lanka’s ancient healing traditions and inspired by centuries-old Ayurvedic wisdom. All FRELLA products are specially designed as holistic wellness solutions for the body, skin, hair, and soul, and focuses on providing nourishment, balance, and healthy aging through refined, modern wellness systems.

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Writer Business Services enters Sri Lanka to partner with institutions to provide information management and payments solutions

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Writer Corporation, one of India’s leading business groups, announced the launch of its subsidiary, Writer Business Services Pvt. Ltd., and the commencement of its operations in Sri Lanka. The expansion reflects Sri Lanka’s strategic importance in Writer’s regional growth plans and its role in supporting a highly regulated digital and financial services market which is currently undergoing digital transformation.

Sri Lanka’s continued focus on strengthening regulatory frameworks, digital platforms, and financial systems is shaping how institutions across banking, government, and enterprise sectors approach their business operations. There is a clear emphasis on secure, compliant, and resilient information and transaction environments that can scale with regulatory and business needs. Writer’s entry into Sri Lanka aligns with this direction, bringing global experience and a partnership-led approach to the market.

As part of its launch, Writer will establish a secure records and information storage facility in Seeduwa, Colombo. Designed to meet global standards for security, compliance, and disaster resilience, the facility will support banks, financial institutions, government bodies, and large enterprises in managing physical and digital information across its lifecycle.

Alongside information management, Writer brings established expertise in integrated payment services to support the modernization of transaction infrastructure across the banking and financial services sector. Its payments capabilities focus on strengthening availability, transaction continuity, and transparency across critical payment channels that underpin institutional reliability and customer confidence.

Writer’s digital payments offerings in Sri Lanka include end-to-end ATM and self-service terminal outsourcing, integrated channel ownership and managed services, field management applications, payment and reconciliation platforms, and remote monitoring with near real-time reporting. These solutions support financial institutions in improving uptime, strengthening governance, and enhancing operational efficiency across payment networks, in line with the continued evolution of electronic and automated payment systems.

Across information management and payments, Writer operates with an integrated portfolio spanning records and information management, business process outsourcing, cloud and digital services, data privacy, cybersecurity and enterprise payments infrastructure. These capabilities support institutions in addressing evolving regulatory requirements, digitization of legacy environments, and rising operational and cyber risks.

Writer’s local presence enables closer collaboration with clients and on-ground delivery, while supporting the development of Centres of Excellence across cybersecurity operations, SOC and NOC services, AI-led solutions, and payments operations and monitoring.

Writer’s Sri Lanka operations will be built, led, and run by Sri Lankan professionals, reflecting a long-term commitment to local talent growth and development.

Commenting on this development, Satyamohan Yanambaka, CEO, Writer Global Services Pvt. Ltd., assured Writer’s long-term commitment to the country’s digital ambitions. He said, “Writer’s entry into Sri Lanka reflects our belief that digital ambition in regulated environments must be supported by trust, sound governance, and strong execution. As institutions scale digital services, the reliability of information and payment systems, channel operations, and governance frameworks becomes increasingly important to public and institutional confidence. Our experience across information management, digital transformation, and enterprise payments enables us to support secure, large-scale financial ecosystems, with a clear commitment to building and leading these capabilities locally.”

Sri Lanka’s Digital Personal Data Protection framework raises expectations around how personal and sensitive information is secured and governed.

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Altair issues over 100+ title deeds post-ownership change

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Thilan Wijesinghe

Altair Residences have, over the past six months, seen more than 100 individual title deeds being executed by apartment owners, providing owners with a clear, registered, legal title to their apartments in accordance with Sri Lankan property law. This has been a key initiative by the new owners and management of Altair to improve governance and will continue in an orderly manner in the coming months.

With the transition of ownership to Blackstone India, Altair’s Management Council has also been formally constituted, enabling owners to play an active and proactive role in the management of the Altair building. In addition, the management council has appointed Realty Management Services (RMS), a subsidiary of Overseas Realty Ceylon PLC, as the new facility manager of Altair.

Commenting on these milestones, Thilan Wijesinghe, Chairman of TWC Holdings, who, together with a team from TWC, represents Blackstone’s interests in Sri Lanka, said, “The issuance of individual title deeds is a critical step in any professionally developed residential asset. Over the past six months, this process at Altair has moved forward in a structured and transparent manner, alongside the formal establishment of owner-led governance. This, combined with the appointment of experienced facility managers are fundamental building block for long-term value-creation for apartment owners and proper asset stewardship.”

With ongoing improvements to the building being undertaken by Indocean Developers Pvt Ltd (IDPL), the owning company of Altair, the issuance of deeds to owners is expected to accelerate over the coming months.

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