The Hindu Business Line : Ragpickers, NGOs to help collect household plastic waste

THE Indian Plastics Federation (IPF) has finalised the blueprint for a proposal to collect and dispose plastic waste from households. A similar programme is already in operation in Mumbai, Pune and Delhi.

The proposal, which has been submitted by IPF to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), will be launched on a pilot basis in select parts of the city after the Lok Sabha elections on May 10.As per the proposal, unemployed youths (mainly ragpickers) will collect household waste, which is to be procured at an approximate rate of Rs 6 per kg. Non-governmental organisations will be involved in coordinating with the collectors.

IPF President, Mr J.C. Agarwal, said that preliminary discussions have already been held with the KMC, which has approved the project in- principle. "Detailed presentation would be made after the elections," he said.

Two main components of the programme will be creating awareness (primarily among housewives) about careless disposal of plastic items especially bags, and training ragpickers to collect the discarded items from households in an organised manner. "Households will be urged to segregate dry plastic items which may include anything - bags, broken spoons and toys, ice-cream cups and disposable water bottles," Mr Agarwal said. Tea cups used in roadside stalls are also likely to be covered under this programme.

The waste will be collected from the youth by a unit assigned by the IPF at a certain rate. Then they will be stored at a site earmarked for this purpose before being transported to existing recycling plants. Mr Agarwal said that new recycling units would also come up in the State. "The Indian Centre for Plastics in Environment — a body promoted mainly by the petrochemical majors — will also be involved in the entire exercise," Mr Agarwal said.

If the pilot project succeeds, the experiment would be spread throughout the State. An estimated 10 kg of plastic waste is generated within Kolkata every day.

More Stories on : Environment | Other States | Plastics

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