Page 56 - Plastics News July 2017

IN THE NEWS

Plastic waste to be converted to Plastic bottle crushers at
diesel in Surat Mumbai Metro stations

he Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) for the systematic umbai Metro installed plastic crushers to recycle
TPlastic waste management in the city has begun with Mwaste plastic bottles at six of the 12 stations on
the commissioning of a plastic waste management plant the network here as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
at Bhatar in Surat that would convert the plastic waste The crushers, developed by Wild West Media, have
into diesel.The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has been installed at D.N. Nagar, Andheri, Chakala, Marol
Naka, Saki Naka and Ghatkopar, which have maximum
provided two acres land for that plant that has been built commuters’ footfalls. The initiative will help provide
commuters with a handy facility to dispose of waste
plastic bottles and contribute to the cause of cleaning
up the environment. “As an ecologically-conscious utility,
we strive to keep the environment clean and green, and
are always keen to adopt the best practices for bettering
the environment towards creating a Swachh Bharat.
Mumbai Metro has already become synonymous with
cleanliness,” said the spokesperson.For their efforts,
commuters shall be entitled to instant rewards in the
form of redeemable coupons which will be dispensed
by the machine.
by a private operator. The plant has started collecting These coupons with discounts of 20-25 per cent can be
20 tons of plastic waste from the city areas daily and redeemed at select brands.The crushed plastic bottles
making plastic globules. However, this capacity would be shall be sent for recycling to fiber-manufacturing
enchanced to 100 tons per day. companies and used as raw materials for clothing,
carpets, grocery bags etc.Simple to operate and cost-
"The land was given by SMC to Enviro Associates for effective, each machine is about the size of a refrigerator
construction of plastic waste management plant on 15 and can “consume” around 5,000 plastic bottles daily.
years operations and maintenance basis. The operator Besides this, Reliance Infra Ltd’s Mumbai Metro One has
would expand the capacity to 100 tons in coming days
and make diesel out of plastic waste. The plant is set
up at the cost of Rs 6 crore-Rs 7 crore," said an official
from SMC. In coming days, the company would set up a
collection center in each zone for plastic waste and at big
stores in the city too. They will tie up with some voluntary
organizations to collect plastic waste thrown the roads. "
At present, ragpickers and scrap dealers were collecting
plastic waste lying on the road," said an official, adding
that the private firm would set up a parallel system so
that waste goes for processing and making useful things.

The company would also provide processed plastic to SMC several other eco-friendly measures in place, including
for making roads. Of the total daily solid waste collection recycling 90 per cent of water used for washing its rolling
of 1,700 metric tonnes in the city, nearly eight per cent stocks, rooftop solar panels for generating electricity and
switching over to LED lighting at its offices and stations.
is plastic waste, which comes to around 100-120 MT and
The 11.40 km long Mumbai Metro has 12 stations on its
that amounts to about 100 to 120 MT on daily basis.
line between Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar.

Plastics News | July 2017 56