VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) has requested the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) to supply non-recyclable plastic waste to cement kilns, in order to ensure total elimination of the plastic menace in the city.
"Plastic which cannot be recycled or used for laying roads is eventually burnt to a crisp. Since it is burnt at low temperatures of 80 to 100 degree celsius, black smoke is emitted which is carcinogenic. On the other hand, coal which is used to power cement kilns is burnt at 1300 to 1400 degree celsius. If plastic is burnt at such high temperatures, it turns into carbon dioxide instead of being converted into carcinogenic smoke which harms the environment and in turn public health," said APPCB chairperson BSS Prasad.
He also said that usage of plastic and other hazardous waste materials emitted from various industries will aid in reducing five to 10 per cent of coal usage in power generation. “Reducing usage of coal in power generation by adding plastic and other harmful waste materials, will help the kiln owners in reducing running costs.”
APPCB has successfully converted 45,000 tonnes of "organic salad", consisting of hazardous solid and chemical waste into fuel for cement kilns in the last three years. “If the civic body provides non-recyclable plastic, over a period of time they can even demand monetary returns from these kilns instead of providing it for free, ultimately aiding in revenue generation for the Corporation,” Prasad said.
The chairperson has also welcomed the Corporation’s proposal of sending other solid waste received by it everyday to the cement kilns. “The high temperatures at which coal is burnt at cement kilns is sufficient to burn any type of solid waste and so almost anything and everything will be welcomed. We requested the civic body to send such non-recyclable materials to the kilns around five months ago.
However, till date they have been unable to send it as they claim that the accumulated waste is not enough to be sent to kilns which demad bulk supply.” Meanwhile, VMC’s assistant Medical health Officer Madhusudan Rao has said that the civic body is engaged in discussions with the cement kilns, with whom they are already in business of supplying plastic waste for making bricks. “We are trying to convince the manufacturers to take small quantities. Since the PCB has suggested that other solid wastes can also be sent, we are sure that we will be able to provide more waste for power generation in the future,” he added.