Bhubaneswar: December 19: In a unique initiative and partnership, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages will put in place a sustainable Plastic Waste Management system in Bhubaneswar for which an MOU (memorandum of understanding) was signed at BMC Conference Hall on Tuesday.
Under this unique collaborative venture a 6,000 sq. ft area Swachhata Kendra will be established near the temporary transit station (TTS) for the transport of solid waste, near Sainik School, Bhubaneswar.
The initial partnership shall be initiated in 10 BMC wards, i.e. 12, 13, 16, 25, 27, 30, 34, 40, 41 and 53. The collaboration in the project aims to streamline plastic recycling in the city. Swachhta Kendras or “integrated material recovery centres” for recycling all types of plastic i.e. PET, HPDE, LDPE, PVC, PP, PS and others types.
The Swachhta Kendra will aim to ensure collection of nearly 5 MTs/ day of all types of plastics collection, segregation from different sources and to create a capacity of 10 ton per day minimum processing of all types of plastic waste.
The Swachhta Kendra project near TTS targets at the end of 4-year period in the project better management, including collection, segregation and recycling of at least 6,800 Matric tons in the city of Bhubaneswar. This will alsoi Improve socio-economic conditions, better lives and livelihoods of at least 700 waste pickers or Swachh Sathis in compliance with Government of India; Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016.
In this project the scope of involvement of UNDP would cover into two phases as in Phase 1 (4 years) there would be direct involvement during operational and funding support and in Phase 2 (6 years) it would be in a supporting and advisory role to ensure the project scales and expands into entire Bhubaneswar and beyond.
Project Benefit:
The project benefits would also include identification of the spots/places for decentralized dry waste collection centers (DWCC) in the city and create women entrepreneurs through the women self-help groups for supply of the plastics to the main Swachhta Kendra. These DWCC act as waste banks and will be connected through the apps and will be optimized through the best transport mechanisms.
A Swachhata Kendra aims to give value addition to different types of plastics. It will be connected to recyclers and other stakeholders.
The project through BMC and the State Pollution Control Board would work with the respective state departments for supply of less than 50-micron thin plastics shredded to 2.4 mm, including 5 percent multilayered for road making as alternate to coal tar as per the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016 for a cash value per Kilogram.
It would also be in touch with Cement Companies and possibly Power Plants to take plastic waste in bales (cleaned only plastics and no other dry waste matter) for the Klines as alternate fuels for a cash value per Kilogram.
The pilot project would also ensure all social security measures like insurances, health, pensions, dress, safety gears, identity cards, health etc, for all the 20 waste pickers (Swachh Sathii) involved directly at the Swachhta Kendra or the 600-odd involved in collection and segregation at the various levels, places within the waste value chain/waste ecosystem as explained in the waste inflow-outflow point over 4 years.
The all inclusive-growth measures of the unique project will help self-help groups, enterprises, livelihoods, education for children and incomes enhancement parameters for all the 20 waste pickers (Swachh Sathii) involved directly at the Swachhta Kendra or the 600-odd involved in collection and segregation at the various levels, places within the waste value chain/waste ecosystem.
The project will also take up IEC related actions in the areas with the Citizens Forum, at the waste pickers colonies, RWAs, Market Committees and Associations, Schools, Colleges, Institutions and other cultural and special events.
This partnership aims to promote sustainable plastic waste management practices, thus empowering the Safai Sathis (waste-pickers) and moving into a circular economy. It will enhance collection, segregation and recycling of all kinds of plastic waste along the waste value chain through a socio-technical model, creating resource efficiency and better accessibility to all stakeholders. This is in line with the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
