Norlanka, one of Sri Lanka’s largest sustainable exporters of baby and kidswear, has reached its latest milestone in its journey towards achieving sustainable excellence by successfully unveiling a solar energy project at its manufacturing facility in Trincomalee.
The solar energy project was ceremonially declared open recently by GS Periwal - CEO of Norlanka together with Sanjay Jain – CEO of PDS Limited Group. Over 1,500 solar panels have been used on the factory rooftop with a 500kw inverter generating over 70,000 kWh of clean renewable energy. This will help Norlanka to reduce 397 Tons of an average annual carbon footprint from the company’s overall carbon footprint. In addition to this, the company is also mapping out plans for a rainwater harvesting and a groundwater recharging project at the facility.
It is widely known that the Apparel industry is one of the most energy intensive and therefore companies have a major responsibility in turning towards generating renewable energy. With fossil fuel supplies deteriorating rapidly with the accelerated global consumption, an energy crisis is imminent. Additionally, burning of fossil fuel for energy generation is one of the main causes of global warming and an increase in Green House Gas emissions. Given this backdrop, in order to play its part in creating a sustainable future, Norlanka is placing great importance on making environmentally conscious decisions. Under the extensive Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) roadmap, the company has made investments for several renewable energy projects.
Norlanka is currently on the path towards championing its sustainability goals of becoming carbon neutral at its Corporate Office and the manufacturing plant by 2025. The company understands the responsibility it has concerning the future of a sustainable apparel industry. Therefore, great importance has been given for ethical sourcing, using eco-friendly raw materials and working with a responsible supply chain. Recently, Norlanka was awarded the prestigious ISO 14064:1 certification by the Sri Lanka Climate Fund (SLCF). The ISO 14064:1 certification is awarded for identifying hotspots, quantifying and reporting of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. The quantification includes GHG emissions from transport, waste disposal, water consumption, electricity, generator and fugitive emissions of Norlanka’s Corporate Office in Wattala and manufacturing facility in Trincomalee.
Norlanka is a confluent apparel solutions provider for over 20 international fashion brands and retailers and works closely with over 30 factories across Sri Lanka. These factories help ship 20 million garments a year, making the company one of Sri Lanka’s largest sustainable exporters of baby and kidswear while the company’s diverse product portfolio also consists of active wear, casual wear, and athleisure. Its global clients include Primark, Matalan, Walmart, Superdry, George and many others. As a part of PDS Multinational - a global manufacturing and sourcing platform - Norlanka has access to a wealth of knowledge from the global arena and receives continuous support through research, new technologies and working capital finance in order to improve its manufacturing capabilities and sustainability practices.