KOCHI: Zero solid waste is a possibility and this has been proved by an initiative launched by CREDAI. The initiative called CCC Zero Waste Pvt Ltd has been successfully managing solid waste disposal in more than 18 cities, servicing 550 apartments and more than 29,818 families.
But how do they do it? Isn’t it a tough job? Something even civic bodies are finding tough to handle! “We have a streamlined process,” says Sailesh Prabhu, CEO at CREDAI Clean City Movement. According to him, the end result of the waste management system implemented by the company is such that those living in apartment complexes don’t have to be worried about garbage disposal.“Not only do we provide the necessary equipment needed for the waste management but also ensure that the resultant byproducts are taken care of in an appropriate manner,” he says adding the company is an authorised service provider for Suchitwa Mission and also approved by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board. The company has also tied up with Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Ltd.
According to him, bio-degradable waste is turned into compost using the eco-composter. “The total installation cost comes to be around Rs 70,000 for an apartment complex having 35 to 40 flats. A pair of eco-composter bins are ideal for an apartment complex having the aforesaid dimensions,” he says. “In most cases, the compost produced by the eco-composter is utilised by the apartments in their gardens.
It takes 30 days for a bin to produce compost. As for those that don’t have such facilities, we clear out the compost and supply it to those who need the compost. We get such requests from farmers,” says Sailesh. “These supervisors are responsible for training the people involved in the waste management in a particular flat. They visit an apartment complex once every week.
They also monitor whether the composting process is being carried out in the right way. If composting is not done correctly, we won’t get the desired result,” says Sailesh. The company manages around 300 tonnes of biodegradable waste and 50 tonnes of non-biodegradable waste. “Plastic waste is collected from the apartments once a month. The non-biodegradable waste thus collected is further segregated at our facility,” says Sailesh. The clean plastic is sent to recycling units while the remaining are transported to the cement kilns.