Initiatives are under way to make Thripunithura plastic-free. Right after Onam, the municipality will take the issue head-on like the neighbouring Kochi Corporation and the Maradu municipality.
Thripunithura municipality vice chairman O.V. Salim told The Hindu that the local body had held talks with traders on the issue and would issue a notice on observing the plastic-free initiative from October onwards.
No date has been fixed to declare the town plastic-free, but the municipality is aiming for November 1. The Council meeting would decide on the dates, said Mr. Salim.
The traders had demanded time to re-organise their trading practices to make the town plastic-free. “Once traders comply with the drive, the move will be to rope residents in,” said Mr. Salim.
While there is awareness on the need to lessen the use of plastics and overcome the dependence on plastic shopping bags, there is little compliance. “The habit has to be cultivated,” he said.
Unsorted wasteThe problem with plastic waste is that unless it is sorted, it does not have much value. The municipality has been paying Rs.35,000 per truck load for removing unsorted plastic waste. Even when plastic waste can generate revenue, it is eating into the municipality’s funds.
Segregation at sourceSegregation of waste at source is the best method. Though Kudumbashree workers, who collect the plastic waste once a week from some areas, have been trained to tell residents to sort the plastic at home, very few residents comply. The workers have no place to dump the waste and then sort plastic.
If the workers are able to collect segregated plastic, much of the plastic waste load could even generate revenue. There will only be a meagre quantity that needed to be paid for disposal.
“We will take awareness classes on making the initiative a success,” said Mr. Salim.
