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.