The Hindu      05.02.2011

Corporation move to clear e-waste

Coimbatore Corporation will soon take up household hazardous and e-waste management.

Sources say the civic body, a stakeholder, has a responsible role to play in the collection, segregation and safe disposal of the household hazardous waste (HHW) and e-waste.

This is in keeping with the Tamil Nadu Government's e-waste Policy 2010, wherein it states that infrastructure has to be created for collection, utilisation and disposal of the waste in an environmentally safe and sound manner, collection centres have to be set up under the public-private partnership mode and local bodies should play a prominent role and much more.

The sources say HHW and e-waste collection programme will also ensure that they do not get mixed with other non-biodegradable solid wastes.

The Corporation will set up two HHW and e-waste collection centres each in all the four zones. In all, there will be eight centres, which will come up at the ward offices. Conservancy workers will engage in door-to-door waste collection on a designated day on a weekly basis.

The waste collected will be sent to authorised collection centres or registered recyclers, which will be done in association with the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.

On a trial basis, the civic body will start the project in a ward, the sources say. Once the project is extended to other wards, it will rope in private players.

The sources say the aim is not only to manage the waste but also to create awareness among the public for, such waste have the potential to damage the environment by contaminating the air, water and also enter the food chain.

The HHWs are pesticides/insecticides, aerosol cans, fluorescent lamps, light ballasts, objects with mercury, mothballs, rat poison, shoe polish, floor care products, cosmetics, hair remover, nail polish, furniture polish, anti-freeze products, etc.