The Times of India 08.03.2013
Plastic recycling plant for Kozhikode
KOZHIKODE: The mounting plastic waste menace in the city has a solution at sight with the opening of the plastic recycling plant set up by the Kozhikode Corporation scheduled for Saturday.
The recycling facility, set up at West Hill Industrial Estate will help
convert one tonne of plastic waste into granules and pellets per day,
thereby helping the city address its plastic waste woes.
The
plant has been set up under the solid waste treatment project at a cost
of Rs 62 lakh. With the commissioning of the project, Kozhikode will
become the first corporation in the state to set up a plastic recycling
plant.
Corporation mayor A K Premajam told the media that that
despite the awareness programme and curbs currently in place on the use
of plastic, the plastic waste menace has been on the rise in the city.
“The absence of a proper facility to recycle plastic has been a major
obstacle in achieving our goal of a plastic waste free city. With the
opening of the plastic recycling plant, we hope to resume the collection
of plastic wastes from the homes through the Kudumbasree network,” she
said.
The Kudumbasree volunteers had stopped collecting plastic
wastes long ago due to lack of recycling facilities, leaving piles of
plastic wastes across the city. Though the plant was ready for
operations months ago, the delays in getting electricity connection and
issues with disposal of the huge pile of plastic waste dumped at the
plant site had delayed its inauguration.
Premajam said that
only clean plastic can be recycled in the plant and urged the residents
to adopt the practice of proper segregation of wastes at the households.
Kudumbasree workers will not collect plastic bags or wastes soiled with
remains of food or other items. The workers will be paid Rs 4 for every
kg of plastic waste they deliver at the plant. The plastic granules and
pellets produced at the plant will be sold to various plastic product
manufacturers.
The corporation has granted the licence for
running the recycling plant for three years to a private contractor, who
will pay Rs 3.21 lakh as licence fee each year. State minister for
urban affairs, Manjalamkuzhi Ali will inaugurate the recycling plant at 3
pm on Saturday.
Preetha T K, a housewife at Gandhi Road, said
that the though the setting up of the recycling plant was a welcome
step, the corporation should streamline the collection of plastic waste
by introducing colour-coded waste bins and strictly enforce the ban on
below 40 micron plastic bags to make the city free from plastic waste.