For the authorities of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), cleanliness is serious business. Introducing to passengers a smart method of waste disposal, they have installed two crushing machines on the airport premises.
The two units, which are about 1.8 metres high, can crush bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate, popularly known as PET, steel/ aluminium cans and plastic bags. The crushed material is collected at a later stage for recycling and reuse.
The authorities have even incentivised the use of the machines. A part of the #PassengerisPrime initiative and the Centre’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, using the crushers entitles the passenger to either claim a discount coupon or make a donation for dispensing their bottles, bags or metal cans.
Separate inlets are designated for PET bottles, cans and plastic bags. The waste material can be inserted into the appropriate inlet after which the machine senses the object and crushes it. The crushed waste is then collected for recycling.
Trained personnel have been posted at each machine to assist passengers. There are plans to install five more machines soon.
GMR Hyderabad International Airport CEO S.G.K. Kishore is optimistic that passengers will feel motivated to use the machines. “We are the first airport to have our own composting plant, which processes the food waste generated on the premises. With the addition of recycling machines at the airport, we will support this massive movement that seeks to create a clean India,” he said in a statement.
