The city is not short of plastic waste and, every day, its quantity
is increasing to be on par with the stinking degradable waste
generation.

Searching for solutions to the plastic menace, the
City Corporation has now realised that tackling the materials alone is
not the biggest headache.

Hence, when it is now going ahead with
installing three plastic-shredding units on a pilot basis at Manacaud,
Chalai and Palayam, the Corporation is arranging facilities to wash the
collected plastic waste and engage the Kudumbashree workers in
performing both tasks.

Even if the earlier attempts of the civic
body to collect plastic waste from households were not fruitful, the
reluctance of city residents to provide washed plastic waste was one
factor that contributed to the failures.

Along with giving the
order for the shredding machines, the Corporation has decided that at
all three locations, water tanks and facilities for washing will be
arranged. Corporation officials say that these facilities will be a
solution to the issue of washing plastic collected from wayside too.

The
installation of the shredding unit is a joint venture involving the
City Corporation, Kudumbashree Mission, Suchitwa Mission and Agriculture
Department. As per the current plan, the shredded waste will go to
Public Works Department (PWD).

“PWD will use it for road-tarring
works. Some industries too have expressed interest in the shredded
plastic,” said K B Valsalakumari, executive director of Kudumbashree
Mission.

After holding discussions, a detailed plan for setting up the units will be prepared.

In the two places other than Palayam, arrangements to house the machines would be made.

Future of existing machines uncertain

With
Palayam again getting plastic-shredding units, in all probability, it
would sound the death knell for the two machines which have been lying
idle there from July 2012, since their inauguration in Connemara market.

When
the kind of shredders that are to be bought for the new units would be
for industrial purpose, the capacity of the two existing machines raises
a question. As they have been lying idle for over a year, it is unclear
how efficient they would be. The machines bought during the tenure of
the previous council had cost Rs 2.70 lakh.