This summer vacation will see Kochi city getting rid of a chunk of its electronic waste.
Around 500 volunteers of the National Service Scheme (NSS) belonging to various city colleges will fan out to institutions and homes across the city to collect discarded electronic materials. Two days of their annual camp will be dedicated for the door-to-door collection of e-waste.
“The Clean Kerala Company and the NSS are taking forward the campaign of safe handling and clearing of e-waste. It has already received the patronage of the city residents and the civic administrators and many Corporation councillors are coming forward to organise the collection centres at their respective divisions,” said Kabeer B. Harun, Managing Director, Clean Kerala Company.
When the schools in the city are re-opened in June after the summer vacation, the students will be encouraged to bring the refuse from their homes. The students will be given attractive pay to promote the collection of the refuse.
The campaign resulted in the collection of 15 tonnes of e-waste from Model Engineering College, Thrikkakara, offices of the Kerala State Electricity Board (3.5 tonnes), and agencies like Coir Board. Collection points will be opened at Giri Nagar on Wednesday, Mr. Harun said.
It is estimated that the city has nearly 100 tonnes of e-waste and already one-third of them has been collected.
The company has set March 2017 deadline to make the city e-waste free. Similar campaigns are being run in other parts of the State too, he said.
“Major portion of the collected waste are recycled. The high quality plastic and metal parts used in computers and other electronic gadgets could be reused. Mercury that is present in lamps are treated and used for secure landfill,” he said.
The government company tripled its turnover in one year of its launch and aims to make Rs.3 crore during the next fiscal from the business of e-waste. “Money is thus being minted out of the waste which, if left untouched, would become an environmental hazard,” he added.
