THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Lack of proper waste disposal facilities is one of the major problems faced by hotels and restaurants in the city. Currently, the huge quantity of food waste and other garbage generated by hotels daily are either handed over to the city corporation or other private agencies for disposal. However, members of the Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) said the current process is too costly for them. To resolve the issue, KHRA plans to launch a waste management facility in the district.
“In Kochi, the KHRA is working in tandem with Stenum Asia, a Delhi-based NGO, and has already launched a waste management campaign. They are working out ways of effective disposal and recycling of waste generated in restaurants and hotels. Before launching the project, the representatives from the NGO visited the restaurants to assess the methods in place and to check energy efficiency. So far, the project launched on a pilot basis has been successful. We are planning to implement the same model in the capital city,” said B Vijayakumar, Thiruvananthapuram district secretary, KHRA.
Usually, the waste from the hotels and restaurants is either disposed of through waste collection by civic bodies or by sending it to the pig farms in and around the region. “These agencies charge huge rates to dispose of the waste. However, if we have our facility, then it will become easier to dispose of food waste without any hassle,” said Vijayakumar.
The KHRA has also been successful in coming up with an affordable food-delivery application for hotels and restaurants. The Rezoy food delivery mobile app, initially launched in Kochi, is all set to start operations in different parts of the state. “A 10 per cent commission is charged from restaurant owners. It is used to pay the delivery staff and the expenses incurred on delivery,” said a KHRA official.