Page 55 - Plastics News July 2017

IN THE NEWS

TCE signs MoU with Indonesia Kochi Metro installs plastic

for plastic roads bottle recycling machines

he Centre for Solid Waste Management of Thiagarajar ith its plan to install plastic bottle recycling
TCollege of Engineering (TCE) here has signed a Wmachines in selected metro stations as part of
memorandum of understanding with the Coordinating an initiative to go environment-friendly, the Kochi
Ministry of Maritime Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia to Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) inaugurated its first plastic
replace all its existing roads with ‘plastic roads’ between bottle recycling machine at the Palarivattom station,
earlier this month. Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL)is
planning to install plastic bottle recycling machines in
selected metro stations as part of an initiative to go
environment-friendly.Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) in
association with South Indian Bank (SIB) installed plastic
recycling machines at three metro stations as part of the
metro agency’s initiative to go green. KMRL Managing
Director Elias George and SIB managing director and
CEO V.G. Mathew jointly inaugurated the machines
2017 and 2025. The MoU, signed by R. Vasudevan, Dean, at the Palarivattom metro station. The machines will
TCE, on behalf of its chairman Karumuttu T. Kannan,
with Safri Burhanudin, Deputy Coordinating Minister for
Human Resource, Science and Technology and Maritime
Culture, in Bali on June 15 envisages cooperation in the
form of education and training in the field of engineering,
including the use of Thiagarajar College of Engineering’s
patented technology of laying flexible pavement with
the use of waste plastic. The technology involves coating
of aggregate with waste plastic before being mixed with
bitumen for laying roads. also be available at Cochin University and Edappally
stations too.“The Kochi metro aims at becoming one
Dr. Vasudevan was confident that with extended
application of waste plastic in laying pavements and of the greenest metro systems in the world, and the
erecting walls, the demand for it would go up. Hailing plastic bottle recycling project at our stations is a part
plastic as “poor man’s friend,” Dr. Vasudevan described of this endeavour. We aim to have such machines at
it as the “greatest discovery” of the 20th century that other stations in collaboration with private partners
improved the standard of living of common man. The like South Indian Bank,” said Mr. George.
problem was only with its disposal, he added. Besides SIB is sponsoring the first three machines as part of its
improving the life of the road and bringing down cost of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative. KMRL
construction, the TCE technology of 2002 also ensures will provide space for installing the machines at the
gainful disposal of waste plastic. stations in unpaid areas, so that even the general public
can use them.Wild West Media, the manufacturers
One tonne of waste plastic, equivalent to 10 lakh carry
bags, is required for laying one km of single lane road. This of the machine, will be responsible for its operation
means a saving of one tonne of bitumen. K. Arunachalam, and maintenance.The highlight of the machine is that
Principal (in charge), said that the technology was already customers using the facility will be incentivised through
adopted in Bhutan to lay roads in the mountain kingdom issue of discount coupons at select commercial outlets.
and countries like USA, Kuwait, Kenya and Malaysia had Food outlets and supermarkets will be linked with the
also shown a keen interest. machine manufacturer for provision of coupons.

55 July 2017 | Plastics News