The snack packets and shampoo sachets that you throw away can well provide additional income to ragpickers. As part of their Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, ITC, in association with the BBMP, is launching a pilot project, ‘Wealth Out of Waste’ (WOW), for ragpickers and pourakarmikas on July 1, which is National Recycle Day.
Around 2,500 ragpickers and pourakarmikas will participate in the project in 12 select wards. They will pick plastic waste, including low micron bags from households, shops and roads.
The city daily produces 150 tonnes of low micron waste which was not considered for recycling. “We are insisting that ragpickers collect them. The ITC will pay Rs 4 per kilo,” said B Joga Rao, vice president (Commercial), ITC.
He said ITC will soon install machines to convert one ton of low micron plastic waste to various products, including crude oil and LPG.
“In a city like Bangalore, an individual can earn at least Rs 30 from a house per month and Rs 3,000 per month per locality,” Rao said. The bi-products will be sold and the amount will be spent for the welfare of ragpickers and pourakarmikas.
BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana said if the ITC project succeeds,the BBMP will install the convertor in wards where low micron plastic waste are generated. “The dry waste collection centres are ready in some wards. Once it is ready, we will also involve self-help groups who can also earn additional income,” he said.