The present interface enables transactions involving municipal solid waste (Representative Image). | Photo Credit: BCCL

Key Highlights The Chennai Corporation launched a new website on Friday The website allows the buying and selling of municipal solid waste If the website is successful for the next three months, the civic body will add new features to it

Chennai: A website which allows the buying and selling of waste and recycled products were launched in Chennai on Friday. The website is being hailed as India's first waste exchange programme. The website is a platform for vendors and buyers of waste to connect.

The website was inaugurated by G Prakash, corporation commissioner on Friday. The website will be run as a pilot for the next three months. After this period of three months is over, more features will be added to the platform. The present interface enables transactions involving municipal solid waste. However, the civic body is planning on expanding to e-waste, construction and demolition waste in the future. The Chennai Corporation will also introduce the website to other cities if the present platform gains success.

The website will enable locals to buy recycled products from the Chennai Corporation. Officials also said that a mobile application is also being developed. The website intends on assisting the Chennai Corporation in achieving its target of generating zero waste.

According to Times of India's report, the civic body generates 5,220 tonnes of waste in 24 hours. Half of this waste is wet waste while the other half is recycled as manure. The Chennai Corporation delivers this manure to buyers and sells it in a mall as well.

Reportedly, the civic body is also planning to set up three-bio-incinerator plants on a public-private partnership model. This will reduce the amount of waste which is dumped in landfills. A civic official said, "About 400 tonnes of dry waste including tender coconut shells and garden waste that are collected every day will be sold to enterprises making charcoal, biofuel. "