KOCHI: Converting waste into wealth is no easy feat. Many want to do it, but few succeed. Clean Kerala Company Ltd (CKCL) is among the few that do. A joint venture of the state government and local bodies in the state tasked with treating and selling dry waste, the firm generated Rs 5 crore in profit within just 20 months of launching operations in January 2021.
“As per internal audits, CKCL made a profit of Rs 5 crore,” said MD Suresh Kumar.It did this by collecting a total 7,382 tonnes of dry, recyclable waste – plastic, glass and e-waste among others – through Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) volunteers across the state between January 2021 and August 2022, cleaning it and selling it to companies inside and outside the state. “During the 20 months since January 2021, CKCL paid Rs 4.5 crore to HKS for collecting the waste,” said Suresh Kumar, the firm’s MD.
He said a clearer picture of the profit will be available only after getting the final audit reports. The company also collected 49,672 tonnes of non-recyclable inert materials during the period.Though formed in the 2012-13 financial year with an authorised share capital of `10 crore, CKCL started operations last year. In the intervening period, the company fine-tuned its plans for operations. There were some delays too.
1,972 tonnes of e-waste sold to recycling firms
The state government has 26% stake in the firm, while the rest 74% is divided between local bodies. The company received Rs 53.5 crore under the Rebuild Kerala initiative to set up waste recycling plants across the state. It collected and sold 1,972 tonnes of e-waste to recycling and processing units. Around 583.05 tonnes of glass waste, 42 tonnes of waste cloth were also collected, processed and sold. Besides, 2,872 tonnes of shredded, polymerised plastic that it processed and sold were used to build 5,142.92km of roads across the country.
Kumar said they are now setting up dry waste processing infrastructure at the district-level, sorting and segregation facilities, material collection facilities in government office complexes and glass waste sorting units. “We are now identifying the required space in all 14 districts,” he said.
“Construction of an integrated recycling unit is going in Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha, while the plant in Thrissur is nearing completion. It is expected to be inaugurated within two months,” said Kumar. “Over one tonne of recyclable plastic can be converted into pellets at these units,” he said.