The University of Ruhuna has been awarded a prestigious research grant totaling €110,000 from the European Union to lead scientific interventions targeting single-use plastic waste across Southern Province coastal belts.

Led by the Department of Oceanography and Marine Geology, the collaborative research project will conduct granular audits of packaging waste flows across tourist hospitality hubs and fishery supply chains in Galle. Scientists stated that tracking plastic pollution trajectories will inform municipal recycling policies and protect fragile coral sanctuaries from microplastic degradation.