Aberdeen Holdings oversees a diverse portfolio spanning multiple industries and considers sustainability a core way of working rather than a discrete initiative. This group-level approach is applied across business units, with leaders tailoring these principles to their operations.
Echelon spoke to some of these leaders to gain insight into how sustainability is brought to life in different contexts while remaining aligned with the Group’s broader goals. Neptune Papers CEO Fazleen Majeed discusses circular material recovery, Ex-pack Corrugated Cartons Head of Sales Deepal N. Perera shares insights on resource-efficient packaging, and HiEnergy Services COO Ifadha Anver highlights clean energy generation.
Discipline is what links them, according to Aberdeen Holdings: clear metrics, commercial accountability and decisions that strengthen both environmental impact and long-term viability. For the Group, sustainability succeeds only when it improves resilience, efficiency and trust across all its businesses.
Manufacturing discipline is critical in corrugated packaging. How has sustainability improved operational efficiency, waste reduction and workforce engagement on the factory floor?
Deepal N. Perera: Manufacturing discipline is critical in corrugated packaging, and sustainability has become a powerful daily driver of operational efficiency, waste reduction and workforce engagement on the factory floor at Ex-pack. It has improved workflow planning through better material utilisation, machine set-ups and operating procedures that reduce wasted effort and energy consumption.
In addition, sustainable purchasing policies focused on responsibly sourced paper, consistent-quality inputs and low-impact consumables have improved process stability and efficiency across manufacturing lines, supporting productivity while lowering waste.
At the workforce level, structured training programmes educate employees on waste segregation, efficient machine operation, preventive maintenance, energy conservation and safe handling of sustainable materials, reinforcing the connection between environmental performance and production performance.
Awareness is reinforced through visual systems, daily meetings, dashboards and clear targets. At the same time, Kaizen and worker-led teams drive waste reduction, efficiency gains and defect prevention at the source. Employee ownership and morale increase when ideas are linked to measurable improvements, reinforcing lean manufacturing, continuous improvement and long-term operational resilience rather than a narrow focus on compliance.
This systems-driven approach is supported by internationally recognised certifications including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, WRAP, FSC Chain of Custody (COC), ETI and Carbon Neutral certification, all of which require rigorous process control and continual improvement. Ex-pack’s integrated performance across quality, environment, safety, ethics and productivity has also been recognised through multiple national and industry awards, reinforcing its position as an award-winning organisation where sustainability and manufacturing excellence are deeply interconnected.
With growing scrutiny around environmental claims in packaging, how does Ex-pack ensure its sustainability narrative is credible, data driven, and aligned with measurable outcomes?
Deepal: Ex-pack’s sustainability narrative must be credible, data-driven and aligned with measurable outcomes. This is achieved by validating all performance-related metrics through reputed external agencies.
Ex-pack works only with well-established and responsible stakeholders across the supply chain, who are themselves audited for environmental, social and ethical compliance. This ensures sustainability standards extend well beyond the factory gates.
Internally, Ex-pack’s strong performance has been recognised through numerous national and international awards. These include the Presidential Environmental Awards, Sri Lanka CSR Awards, National Chamber of Export Gold Awards, recognition as one of the 40 Great Places to Work in Sri Lanka, and inclusion among the Top 100 Best Workplaces in Asia, among others earned over the years. Sustainability, for Ex-pack, is embedded in business excellence—not marketing claims.
Ex-pack has also implemented internationally recognised management systems and certifications, including ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO 14001 for environmental management, WRAP for responsible workplace practices, FSC Chain of Custody (COC) for responsible sourcing of paper, ETI for ethical trade and Carbon Neutral certification. All of these require continuous monitoring, documentation and independent audits.
This combination ensures that Ex-pack’s sustainability goals are backed by measurable outcomes and accountable governance.
Where do you see the strongest opportunity to apply circular economy principles to create new revenue streams or deepen customer relationships?
Fazleen Majeed: The strongest opportunity lies in embedding circular economy principles into clients’ core strategies, transforming waste from a downstream operational issue into a source of strategic value.
Neptune Recyclers creates value by scaling data-driven circular solutions across paper, fabric and plastics, combining infrastructure, traceability and impact reporting to help partners achieve measurable ESG outcomes and stronger brand credibility.
This approach creates new revenue streams, particularly through the integration of customised collection infrastructure, material recovery facility (MRF) operations and verified recycling certification to deliver quantifiable results. Through this, clients demonstrate real impact via quantified waste diversion, carbon avoidance and circular sourcing, which in turn strengthens brand trust and investor confidence.
Consequently, Neptune’s role shifts from service provider to sustainability partner, helping organisations manage risk, meet investor expectations and stay competitive, while circularity drives environmental impact and long-term growth for both Neptune and its partners.
How does Neptune Recyclers embed sustainability into day-to-day operations so that employees view it as a driver of efficiency, quality, and professional growth rather than a compliance exercise?
Fazleen: We position sustainability as an operational discipline rather than an abstract concept. ESG principles are integrated into how work is planned, executed and measured across the organisation.
First, we link sustainability outcomes to core operational KPIs such as collection efficiency, contamination reduction, recovery rates and client satisfaction. When teams see that better sorting, safer handling or improved logistics directly improve performance and reduce costs, sustainability becomes synonymous with operational excellence.
We also prioritise hands-on upskilling for field teams and supervisors, building practical skills that connect daily work to circular outcomes and client value. Visible impact helps foster purpose and ownership, so teams are regularly exposed to how materials re-enter value chains, how community initiatives reduce leakage and how corporate partners depend on Neptune’s credibility to meet their sustainability commitments.
At Neptune, sustainability is embedded throughout decision-making, job roles and career development. It is seen as a source of efficiency, resilience and professional relevance in a rapidly evolving business landscape.
How has HiEnergy turned sustainability from a basic expectation into a clear point of commercial differ entiation in a market where reliability and cost dominate buying decisions?
Ifadha Anver: In energy markets, buyers traditionally prioritise reliability and cost, but HiEnergy used sustainability to go beyond simply meeting environmental norms. Founded in 2012 as one of Sri Lanka’s early solar companies, HiEnergy worked closely with local industries to solve practical energy challenges—reducing operating costs, improving supply reliability and meeting regulatory requirements. By co-developing solutions with customers rather than selling off-the-shelf systems, HiEnergy aligned sustainability outcomes with measurable business performance.
HiEnergy’s differentiation comes from three reinforcing moves.
First, sustainability reduces risk. Solar systems were designed to stabilise long-term energy costs, reduce exposure to electricity price volatility and improve uptime. While environmentally friendly, these systems also kept operations running with fewer disruptions, strengthening business continuity, reducing outages and increasing reliability. It was, and remains, more than a green initiative.
Second, by partnering closely with local industries and understanding site-specific constraints, HiEnergy delivered higher system reliability and faster issue resolution, consistently outperforming larger, less localised competitors.
Finally, HiEnergy benefits from both early-mover credibility and a proven track record. Having operated since 2012, its performance data substantiates its sustainability claims, turning environmental responsibility into a trust signal in procurement decisions.
Customers choose HiEnergy not only because it is greener, but because it is safer, more predictable and more economically rational over the long term.
In a sector exposed to regulatory shifts and grid instability, how does sustainability strengthen HiEnergy’s risk management and business resilience?
Ifadha: The traditional model of grid-connected solar is losing its ability to sustain long-term growth due to grid congestion, instability and increasingly restrictive regulatory approvals. For HiEnergy, this represents a structural shift rather than a temporary policy constraint. Dependence on daytime solar export approvals and net-metering incentives exposes the business to regulatory risk and demand mismatch, making pure solar projects increasingly unviable in saturated grids. To remain viable, value creation must move beyond electricity generation alone and reduce reliance on grid permissions.
In this environment, sustainability strengthens HiEnergy’s risk management by enabling a transition towards behind-the-meter energy solutions that prioritise self-consumption, reliability and control. Through energy storage systems, smart energy management and genset controllers, HiEnergy can deploy solar capacity that remains commercially viable even without grid export approvals. Energy storage allows excess daytime generation to be shifted to periods of actual demand, independent of new solar approvals.
Grid instability further reinforces the relevance of this sustainability-led approach. Hybrid systems combining solar, storage and optimised genset operation improve power reliability while reducing fuel consumption and operating costs. This positions HiEnergy not merely as a solar installer, but as a provider of energy resilience and cost predictability.
By moving away from a solar-only EPC model towards integrated energy systems and recurring service-based revenues, HiEnergy reduces exposure to policy volatility, price competition and grid constraints—ensuring long-term business resilience in a restricted-grid future.