KOCHI: The State-run Clean Kerala Company Ltd. is expanding its mission to eradicate e-waste by involving the student community.
After successfully conducting a drive in a few schools and colleges in the first phase, the company has now urged the managements of CBSE schools in Ernakulam to be part of the exercise to weed out e-waste.
It has called upon principals to come forward and involve students in the drive. The company has already collected waste sourced by two CBSE schools in the district.
“We have written to the CBSE School Management Association, requesting it to take the lead in encouraging more schools to join the campaign against e-waste. The company will collect waste from campuses provided the managements collect a minimum quantity of 500 kg of e-waste,” said Clean Kerala Company Managing Director Kabeer B. Haroon.
He added that schools would get a chance to make money from the sale of e-waste. Clean Kerala Company has been paying ₹25 a kg for e-waste collected by students, and the amount is likely to go up, with bulbs and tubelights too coming under the purview of e-waste.
However, the company has made it clear that students need not bring bulbs, tubelights, CDs, and batteries as part of the waste collection programme as they might find it difficult to carry them to school.
Mr. Haroon said the organisation was ready to organise awareness programmes for principals of CBSE schools. “Awareness sessions will help heads of institutions take forward the message of cutting down e-waste to teachers and students. We are keen on organising sessions on the need to get rid of e-waste,” he added.
As many as seven educational institutions in Ernakulam enhanced its internal revenue by selling close to 30 tonnes of e-waste to Clean Kerala Company at the rate of ₹25 a kg last year. The e-waste collected included computers, laptops, television sets, and refrigerators.
