Sri Lanka’s renowned beaches are more than postcard-pretty. They pulse with life as living ecosystems that support livelihoods, leisure, recreation, and interaction. They are naturally stunning and culturally vibrant spaces. Yet, no matter how beautiful, they too are not immune to plastic pollution and waste that endanger marine life, coastal habitats and communities.
As a responsible tour operator committed to driving positive change, Blue Lanka Tours is always doing its part to preserve the island’s natural environments and uplift the communities connected to them. On such an endeavour of ours, we gathered at Wellawatta Beach in Colombo on the 9th May this year for Project Coast 5.0, in partnership with AIESEC NSBM. With a platinum sponsorship and a volunteer headcount of 9, we were able to clean plastic, polythene, and glass waste from a 350m long coastal strip on the west coast.
What Blue Lanka Tours Beach Cleanup Accomplished
During the cleanup, our volunteers removed up to 100 kg of waste, helping restore the beach to its natural state.
Beach Cleanup Statistics
Polythene & Plastic Waste
- 40 – 50 kg collected
- 10 bags filled
- Approximately 4 – 5 kg per bag
Glass Waste
- 40 – 60 kg collected
- 5 bags filled
- Approximately 8 – 12 kg per bag
Overall Waste Collected
- Total estimated waste removed: 80-110 kg.
- Average collected: Approximately 95 kg.
Beach Area Restored
- Approximately 300 – 350 meters of coastline cleaned.
Our goal is to continually contribute to the preservation and conservation of Sri Lanka’s world-famous
coastline. So, we, as a nation and you, as the travellers, get to immerse in its mesmeric beauty with no
distractions.
Why Wellawatta Beach?
When people think of Sri Lanka’s beaches, destinations like Mirissa, Unawatuna, Arugam Bay, or Bentota often come to mind first. Colombo’s beaches, despite being among the most frequented along the country’s coast, are often overlooked because they are not recognised as iconic tourist beaches. Yet urban beaches like Wellawatta play an equally important role. Situated in Sri Lanka’s commercial capital, Wellawatta Beach is constantly bustling with human activity. It provides a scenic backdrop for businesses, restaurants, street vendors, and nightlife establishments. Unlike more secluded coastal destinations, Colombo’s beaches endure the pressures of heavy commercial use every day.
This increased activity often leads to higher levels of pollution. Plastic waste, food packaging, bottles, and glass debris accumulate more rapidly due to large crowds, recreational gatherings, and nightlife activity. In many cases, these beaches are neglected because they are viewed more as city spaces than natural ecosystems deserving protection.
Project Coast 5.0 focused on Wellawatta Beach precisely because urban coastlines need attention just as much as the iconic, famous, and touted. Restoring Colombo’s beaches enhances environmental health, public awareness, and the quality of life for the communities, businesses, locals, and visitors.
Sri Lanka’s Extraordinary Coastline
Sri Lanka is blessed with more than 1,300 kilometres of dramatic coastline. From golden sandy beaches and turquoise lagoons to rugged cliffs, coral reefs, mangrove forests, and hidden coves, the island’s coast offers an incredible variety of landscapes within a relatively small geographic area. It comprises palm-fringed beaches, world-class surfing, whale watching, turtle nesting, traditional fishing, and stunning sunsets. Barely-touched beaches, secluded bays, stark peninsulas, shallow lagoons, offshore islands, wetlands, salt marshes, underwater scenery, and unique ecosystems offer travellers diverse coastal experiences.
Sri Lanka’s coastline is also home to extraordinary biodiversity. Coral reefs support rich underwater marine life, while five of the world’s seven endangered sea turtles come to nest along tranquil beaches around the island. Dolphins and blue whales are often spotted offshore, in the south, east, and northwest. Travellers can enjoy surfing, snorkelling, scuba diving, whale watching, deep-sea fishing, kayaking through mangroves, beachside dining, turtle conservation experiences, and scenic train rides hugging the coastline. Whether seeking adventure, total relaxation, culture, or wildlife experiences, Sri Lanka’s shores provide unforgettable experiences year-round.
