Listed on the ASX, Ansell is a global leader in the design, manufacture and sale of hand and body protection, for the industrial, healthcare and life-sciences sectors. Employing more than 14,000 passionate people over 55 countries, Ansell’s commitment to lead the world to a safer future is underpinned by its commitment to sustainability and by extension the transition away from fossilbased fuels.

Established in 1989 in the Biyagama Export Processing Zone, Ansell Lanka is the largest manufacturing facility of Ansell, catering to all three market sectors and employing over 2,800 Sri Lankans. Exporting to both Europe, the Americas and other regions, this facility has a significant influence on the environmental footprint of the wider group. Thermal energy is a major requirement for the manufacturing process and since furnace oil was the main fuel source utilized for the generation of this heat since the inception of the company.

However, in 2009, the company started using woodchips as the main fuel for heat generation. This change marked a significant milestone in Ansell Lanka’s commitment to sustainability and reducing its environmental impact.

Ansell Lanka set up this first woodchip heat generator in 2009, reducing furnace oil usage by 23,000 liters per day and 11,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. As manufacturing capacity increased due to business growth, in 2014, a second woodchip heat generator was installed reducing daily usage by 29,000 liters and 14,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. In 2018, the third woodchip heat generator was built, reducing daily usage by 29,000 liters and avoiding the fossil fuel related emissions to very low figures. By transitioning to woodchips, Ansell Lanka has reduced its fossil fuel based carbon dioxide emissions by 39,000 tons per year. This represents the equivalent of cultivating 234,000 of 20-year-old trees.

While expanding its woodchip heat generator capacity, Ansell technical experts were also part of the UNDP funded project to develop a sustainable fuel wood sourcing standard which saw the birth of SLS 1551:2016, the Sustainable Produced Fuel Wood Certification standard. This was because the organization understood the need to ensure that without sustainable practices, the sourcing woodchips could have other serious environmental and social impacts.

Ongoing efforts over the years to identify a suitable and reliable sustainable sourcing partner proved to be challenging but in 2022, Ansell Lanka renewed its focus and determination with the goal ensuring that all the woodchip suppliers obtained the SLS 1551:2016 certificate from the SLSI, ensuring that all suppliers followed sustainable sourcing practices and processes. These efforts bore fruit where at the end of February 2024, all the woodchip supply partners for Ansell Lanka had been audited and certified by SLSI for being in compliance with the requirements of the Standard.

Now 86% of our energy production is fueled by sustainable woodchips and 100% of Ansell Lanka’s woodchips, use for energy generation are now fully sustainable.

In order to recognize this milestone achievement in their sustainability journey, a ceremony was held on the 3rd of April 2024 to appreciate the efforts of the 11 supply partners and to reinforce Ansell’s sustainability commitments in their hearts and minds. This event was graced with the presence of the Country Representative of the IUCN, Dr. Shamen Vidanage, and representatives from the Board of Investment, the Central Environmental Authority, the Sustainable Energy Authority, the Forest Department and the Sri Lanka Standards Institution.