Plastic waste is likely to be in great demand if two proposals before the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) become a reality.
Sources in Canara Plastic Manufacturers’ Association told The Hindu that a private entrepreneur had proposed to set up a factory to produce fuel from plastic waste at the Baikampady Industrial Area in the city. Confirming this, sources in the KSPCB said the entrepreneur had applied for a licence and the board was examining the proposal. Sources said the association and Mangalore City Corporation are jointly planning to open a plastic waste purchasing centre at Mannagudda.
The corporation officials and office-bearers of the association had a first round of meeting a week ago. The proposal would be finalised after a second round of meeting shortly.
As per the tentative plan, the corporation would allot land at Mannagudda for the association to set up a make-shift shed to purchase plastic waste from people and manage it. The waste included plastic bags, plastic buckets, plastic wrappers of chocolates and biscuit packets and all kinds of plastic waste.
They said the association would invest funds for this arrangement. The association might have to pay rent to the corporation. Sources said the association was planning to outsource this arrangement.
Health section officials in the corporation said the civic body would have to find ways to reduce plastic reaching from its compost plant at Pachchanady. Segregating plastic from waste was a challenge notwithstanding two machines for this purpose at its compost plant. The machines had not been able to fully segregate plastic.
Officials said if people stored plastic waste and sold, it they could earn some income. People would turn up to hand over plastic waste if they got better price.
