Kerala - Kozhikode   

Efforts to eliminate plastic waste through recycling

Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE: The Koyilandy Municipality is in the process of starting a project to recycle plastic waste and eliminate the material to the extent possible.

The project that comprises segregation and conversion of waste generated in the municipality was envisaged by a committee headed by Municipal Chairperson K. Dasan as part of a strategy to do away with plastic waste.

M.K. Harish, Kudumbasree coordinator, Koyilandy Municipality, said the project, by which the municipality can also earn income, would become operational in a fortnight.

As the use of plastic carrybags cannot be totally eliminated and the civic authorities were also not in a position to provide an alternative facility, the best possible means was to recycle the waste generated to the extent possible.

The Koyilandy Municipality generated one tonne of plastic waste a day on an average, of which 500 to 750 kg would be recycled through the new initiative.

A ten-member group of women had been trained to segregate plastic waste into eight different categories under a Rs.2 lakh project.

It was pointed out that plastic segregation was a specialised operation and could be done only with the needed orientation. A five-member male group was provided training in the recycling process. While plastic materials below 30 microns would fetch Rs.2 a kg, the superior variety was priced at Rs.32 a kg. Plastic materials below 30 microns would be recycled and used to manufacture PVC. A sum of Rs.5 lakh each had been earmarked for the recycling units.

The superior variety plastic bags would be converted into pellets and used to manufacture soap boxes and similar items.

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