The district administration would take steps to source orders for the plastics recycling unit run by a federation of self-help groups at Manamedu near Thottiyam, Collector K.S.Palanisamy has said.
The unit was established by the District Rural Development Agency in 2012 for recycling plastic wastes and it is being run by a federation comprising members of 10 women’s self-help groups. Established at a cost of Rs.3.75 lakhs, the unit procures plastics wastes from local bodies, self-help groups and local village and recycles the same into plastic pellets.
So far, about 19.04 tonnes of plastic wastes have been collected and about 12.89 tonnes of plastic pellets have been manufactured at the unit, officials said. Of this about 8.26 tonnes of pellets have been used for road laying.
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The DRDA itself has been procuring the pellets for laying plastic roads under its Rural Infrastructure Scheme, officials said. Private contractors have also evinced keen interest in procuring the pellets for laying roads as they help reduce the use of tar, officials said.
Mr. Palanisamy, who inspected the unit on Tuesday, said steps would be taken to collect plastic wastes through the MGNREG Scheme and supply the same to the unit.