Plastic recycling plant at Madhavaram in Chennai (File Photo) | Photo Credit: BCCL

Key Highlights Chennai Corporation's Zero Waste Initiative can prove to be exemplary for other civic bodies The initiative, coupled with other methods have reduced plastic use in Chennai Tamil Nadu government imposed a ban on plastic in January 2019

Chennai: The civic body in the state capital of Tamil Nadu is spearheading an initiative that could prove to be revolutionary in India's fight against plastic use. Under its 'Zero Waste Initiative', the Greater Chennai Corporation is currently segregating waste and treating different kinds of solid waste as per its composition.

Waste collected from homes is sent to the civic body's solid waste management plants where plastic is separated from normal items. Once categorised, different types of waste are handed over to the various departments for treatment. While a separate unit is used to shred plastic garbage, biological waste is used as compost and plants are grown using the manure. These plants are then sold.

On the other hand, shoes dumped by people are repaired and clothes chopped to make eco-friendly bags. These articles are then sold at highly subsidised prices to those in need. The entire operation is currently functional and can serve as an example of effective solid waste management in other cities across the country. Data released by the Chennai Corporation asserts that the city generates about 3,200 tonnes of garbage on a daily basis. This waste is collected from bins in 15 zones and split between two dumping yards.

Director of the Urban Governance and Civil Action group, Satyarupa told Mirror Now that the 'Zero Waste Initiative' is a transition to a different way of waste management. She added that the collection and disposal of waste is done within the premises of the municipal corporation. "We maintain biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. We have also set up infrastructure to separate waste, including 70 material recovery facilities (MRFs)," said Satyarupa. She further added that the non-recyclable bio-degradable waste is collected by vendors from MCF.

A staffer with the Chennai corporation, Vetrivel says, "This plastic collected by the municipal body is used to build roads." Meanwhile, an MRF worker by the name of Sumathy said, "We use waste clothes to make bags. We go for door to door collection, some segregate things."

In January of this year, the Tamil Nadu government imposed a ban on plastic. While similar laws have been passed in other states, neither state governments nor civic bodies have been able to effectively engage in solid waste disposal. Estimates suggest that since the implementation of the plastic ban, plastic use in the city of Chennai has dipped by 5-10 per cent.