CHENNAI: The State government is working on a strategy to improve Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) compliance by manufacturers, to reduce the stress caused by overuse of plastics on the environment. Amid these efforts, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd (HCCB) is in talks with regulatory authorities to build 1,000 toilets in Tamil Nadu using non-recyclable plastic waste.
On Thursday, Chief Minister MK Stalin officially launched a campaign to make Tamil Nadu plastic-free and organised an exhibition displaying alternatives to plastics. HCCB and its partners displayed the concept of circular economy, where plastic waste is shredded into granules and turned into construction raw material. Environment secretary Supriya Sahu told TNIE on the sidelines of the event that the government was actively working on a ‘buy back’ policy and will be setting-up Reverse Vending Machines in partnership with FMCG companies.
S Thomson from HCCB said the company was in talks with District Rural Development Agency of Tiruvallur district for its nod to use construction material made using plastic waste. “Under CSR initiative, the company has adopted eight villages in and around Nemam, where our factory is located. On a pilot scale basis, we received approval to build a model toilet in Nemam.”
For this purpose, HCCB has engaged Gujarat-based Ricron Panels, which developed the technology to convert plastic waste into eco-friendly construction material. C Nirmal Raj from Ricron Panels told TNIE that the material is easy to assemble, durable, waterproof, anti-bacterial and fire proof. “We built toilets, made furniture for schools etc., using plastic waste recently in Andhra Pradesh. It’s very cost-effective. A toilet can be built with `15,000. Importantly, it reduces deforestation,” he said.
N Raghuram, director of Green RecykloPLast, which is an integrated waste management company, said on an average, every individual in Tamil Nadu buys and discards one plastic bottle each day. “To make some impact on the ground, for a State like Tamil Nadu, there has to be 5,000 to 6,000 Reverse Vending Machines for people to safely deposit the plastic waste.”
Exhibition conducted
During the event to kick start the ‘Meendum Manjappai’, campaign, an exhibition of goods that could be used as alternatives to plastic bags and other plastic items was held. Ministers C Ve Meyyanathan, PK Sekar Babu also took part in the campaign launch event
6,000
Tamil Nadu needs 5,000 to 6,000 Reverse Vending Machines for people to safely deposit the plastic waste, says N Raghuram, director of Green RecykloPLast, an integrated waste management company