THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With February 28 set as the cut-off date for apartment complexes, wedding auditoriums and hotels to turn self-contained in solid waste management, the city has been trying out various compost methods. The bio-bin system promoted by the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (CREDAI) has gained more takers in the city over the last few months.
As many as 42 flats have crossed over to the bio-bin system without waiting for the Kudumbashree women to come to their doorsteps. A year back, when CREDAI had piloted it in a flat in the city, the response was not this eager. However, with the garbage issue staring right at everyone’s face, the compost method, that too cost-effective, has become more than welcome.
According to S Haridas, executive officer of CREDAI, the bio-bin system works on the aerobic microbial composting method.
"The one-time investment that a bio-digestor or a bio-bin requires is less compared to a biogas method. For example, for an apartment that generates 25 kilos of garbage, setting up a biogas system would cost around Rs 5 lakh. But a two-unit bio-bin system would cost only Rs 50,000. There is a huge difference and it has been found really compatible for apartment complexes,’’ he said.
The bio-bin system is a magnified version of a ring-compost method. Kept on the roof, the garbage is stuffed into a huge fibre-based bin and when it gets filled, the second one is put to use.