Navi Mumbai: After achieving nearly 80% segregation of solid waste into wet (biodegradable) and dry (recyclable) categories in all its eight wards, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has placed red bins for a third category — electronic waste (e-waste) and hazardous waste (aerosol cans like deodorant sprays, room fresheners, dead batteries).
The project was flagged off at Wonders Park on the occasion of World Environment Day on Monday in the presence of Mayor Sudhakar Sonawane, Commissioner N. Ramaswamy, and Swacch Navi Mumbai brand ambassador Shankar Mahadevan.
“Being a resident of Navi Mumbai makes me proud. Every resident should ensure that we keep our city clean by throwing trash in the respective bins,” said Mr. Mahadevan.
To begin with, the NMMC has placed three red bins at the NMMC headquarters in CBD Belapur, Wonders Park at Nerul, and at Inorbit Mall in Vashi. The waste will be collected every fourth night by Eco Friend Industries.
“Generally, e-waste and hazardous waste are sold to trash collector or simply thrown into garbage bins. Materials like copper, mercury, nickel and lead cause great harm to living beings if they are not discarded in a scientific way,” said Tushar Pawar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, solid waste management, and tree authority, NMMC.
650 metric tonnes
The NMMC generates 650 metric tonnes (mt) of garbage a day, of which 190-200 mt is wet waste, while 190 mt is dry waste (including e-waste). Around 25-30 mt is green waste and the rest is mixed garbage.
The NMMC’s solid waste management department started the wet and dry segregation on June 1, 2016, making it mandatory for all housing societies, residents’ associations, industries, and hotels to separate waste before handing those over to municipal workers.
“Blue fibre bins of 120 litres have been kept for dry waste, while green bins of 240 litres have been placed for wet waste outside societies. Now, in public places, metal bins of 1,100 litres have been kept to collect e-waste and hazardous waste. Depending on the volume of the waste generated, we will give red bins to societies as well,” said Mr. Pawar. “We will be educating citizens about segregating e-waste and hazardous waste,” said Mr. Pawar.
