Vellaikkal on the outskirts of the city contains, literally, mounds of opportunities to generate employment, augment the financial position of a cash-strapped urban local body and, more importantly, get rid of waste plastic menace. Located here is the huge Madurai Municipal Waste Processing Company (MMWPC) that processes 600 to 650 tonnes of municipal waste.
Six hundred lorry-loads of waste generated in the 100 wards of Madurai Corporation start to troop in from 6 a.m. By midday, most of the city’s garbage enters the Vellaikkal unit, which works round-the-clock to get ready for the next day’s grind. The MMWPC produces organic manure from biodegradable waste after segregation. Used plastic is removed and sold to vendors, who use it for recycling.
Now, ‘plastone’
“The plastic waste segregated at MMWPC holds immense potential to make the city a ‘clean Madurai’ and encourage entrepreneurship, besides generating income,” says R. Vasudevan of the Centre for Studies on Solid Waste Management, Thiagarajar College of Engineering.
The technology developed at the college for coating aggregate with waste plastic while laying roads has now found more value addition. The institution has come up with ‘plastone,’ a sturdy block made from waste materials. “Each block of ‘plastone,’ measuring one square foot, consumes four kg of waste plastic, equivalent to 1,500 carry bags,” says A. Ramalinga Chandrasekar, Research Associate.
Dr. Vasudevan suggests that the MMWPC itself could have a ‘plastone’ manufacturing unit, like the organic manure unit, to put waste plastic to good use.
“Plastone blocks have undergone strenuous tests at the laboratory and can withstand 300 tonnes of load. Each block measures 30 cm in length and has half-an-inch thickness. It can consume up to 15 PET bottles and is 10 times stronger than concrete,” he says.
These blocks can be used as substitute for brick and paver blocks. They can be used in raising compound wall, lining irrigation canals and making sleepers for railway track. ‘Plastone’ blocks will withstand wear and tear at hairpin bends on ghat roads.
Another advantage is that it is not necessary to have conventional materials to make ‘plastone.’ “Construction debris will ideally combine with waste plastic.” Use of water is minimal and it is possible to provide attractive surface finishing for each block.
Dr. Vasudevan says that the public should be made aware of the advantages of segregating domestic waste at source. Recyling waste plastic will be an important component of ‘Clean India’ campaign. “Once making value addition to waste plastic becomes a habit, it will be difficult for us to generate the required plastic waste,” he says.
Making compost
Pankaj Jain, Project Head, MMWPC, says that the company is involved in processing municipal waste and segregating organic waste for producing compost.
The waste plastic is sold to vendors. According to a study conducted by the Anna University for Madurai Corporation, vegetable and fruit waste accounts for 29 per cent of urban municipal waste by weight.
This is followed by food waste (24.367 per cent). Plastic waste accounts for 0.7525 per cent by weight. Mr. Pankaj is receptive to the idea of providing value addition to waste plastic.
“Install machines”
The president of Plastic Manufacturers’ Association (PLASMA), G. V. Soundararajan, wants the Madurai Corporation to procure the latest equipment to segregate waste at MMWPC.
“If the corporation installs machines to wash the plastic, we will be in a position to use waste plastic for other applications, At present, the plastic we get at the processing yard is mixed with soil and other waste, which renders it unfit for re-processing,” says Mr. Soundararajan.
However, the association, is ready to tie up with either the civic body or MMWPC to utilise waste plastic.
