For the first time in the world, a Sri Lankan entrepreneur Udaya Gunaratne, who has many patents, has designed and launched a railway ticket with recycled paper and agro seeds and when thrown away on the ground bears plants.
Gunaratne who is also the Chairman of Ceylon Eco Friendly Products (Pvt) Ltd, a recycling company with over 30 years in the paper industry, said that in addition to recycling paper he adds tomato, mustard and chilli seeds when he turns out the train ticket. “When you throw this ticket to the soil these seeds will get activated and plants spring up. This would be ideal for home gardening and even people in apartments can grow by using these train tickets. The used train tickets can also be recycled.”
He said it is very sad to note that Sri Lanka has been importing millions of train tickets from European countries for the past 150 years. This is a drain on foreign exchange.
“I presented my 100% ‘Made in Sri Lanka’ train ticket to the highest railway authorities in September last year and was told that Sri Lanka was going to introduce e-tickets and this system is going to end. But this is a blatant lie as last month tenders were called requesting for companies to forward bids to print train tickets.” The tender for the printing of third class tickets is said to be USD 500,000.
He said that this tender is designed in such a manner that an inventor like him who is presenting a product for the first time gets disqualified as the tender procedure calls for ‘experience’ in printing train tickets. It’s said that the cost of printing a train ticket is Rs. 2.75.
He said that it’s sad to note that there is a railway mafia not permitting any new local players to enter the supply business. “Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardana who is trying to lower the expenses of the Railway Department should look at this and try to break up this mafia.”
Gunaratne has also designed and executed the world’s first project to recycle ‘shredded currency’ notes discarded by Central Banks all over the world by using natural resources. Currently they are discarded by burning or dumping into the sea/earth and Central Banks all over the world spend a colossal amount for it.
“I have proposed to get these ‘shredded currency’ notes to Sri Lanka for my company to recycle and this process can bring over USD 100 billion in annual revenue to Sri Lanka.
