Project using shredded plastic for surfacing road inaugurated

It aims at facilitating waste management alongside development

Local bodies would find plastic waste management a lot easier if the promise by PWD Minister V.K. Ebrahim Kunju’s to popularise the use of plastic in surfacing roads becomes a reality.

Delivering the inaugural address at the a function to mark the State-level launch of the project for using plastic in road laying here on Friday, Mr. Kunju said that the project, mainly aimed at easing waste management, would become a success only if plastic is made available cheap to the PWD by extending subsidy to plastic shredding units of local bodies.

The road between Palachuvadu and Nilampathinjimugal has been chosen for implementing the project.

The project being implemented under the Clean Kerala campaign, is aimed at facilitating waste management alongside development. More than 300 shredding units would turn operational across the State shortly.

The minister said that a study was underway jointly by the Kerala Highway Research Institute and the National Road Research Institute to explore the possibility of reducing the volume of bitumen used for tarring.

Minister for Urban Affairs Manjalamkuzhi Ali, in his presidential address, said that the project was a landmark in the State’s history of waste management and treatment.

He said that though the project was conceived almost seven years ago, it was taking off now. Production of 1 kg of plastic bits to be used for tarring need almost 1,000 plastic covers. Around 300 kg of plastic bits can be produced in a single unit.

Mr. Ali hoped that plastic waste would become a thing of the past with the material about to be used to meet the fuel needs at the Malabar Cements factory at Walayar as well.

About 48 tonne of plastic made available from the shredding unit set up by the Kochi Corporation in association with the Clean City Movement of Credai is to be used in the initial phase of the project.

Plastic would be largely used in the tarring of roads under the control of local bodies.

At present, 15 local bodies have plastic shredding units. Similar units would be set up at other local bodies shortly, creating about 6,000 jobs. The expenses for setting up the units are being met by Shuchitwa Mission.