Mayor M.Subramanian on Tuesday announced that the Chennai Corporation would purchase recyclable plastic waste from residents at Rs.2 per kg.
Launching the civic body's source segregation programme in Aminjikarai by distributing plastic bags to the residents, he said that initially the project would be implemented in three wards each in six zones and expanded to all wards.
“We are presently asking the staff who collect the plastic waste on tricycles to sell the materials and take the money. Later, when the project is expanded we would be selling it to companies that are interested in procuring such recyclable material.”
The Corporation is already implementing source segregation in Kilpauk Zone in wards 64, 66, 67 and 68 where ITC is collecting such recyclable waste at Rs.2.50 per kg.
Mr.Subramanian said though the civic body had announced that it would distribute jute bags for collection of plastic and paper waste, it decided to use plastic bags as jute bags were very costly. Tenders would be called for purchase of low cost bags of jute.
Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni said plastic wastes comprised 5 per cent of the total waste generated in the city, which is about 90 tonnes. “If that waste is segregated along with dry papers and cardboards, it would reduce the burden on the garbage dumps.”
The civic body had earlier called for expression of interest (EOI) from companies that wanted to emulate the ITC model.
However officials said that as the response was not very encouraging, it decided to implement the project on its own.
