Approximately 50 tonnes of plastic waste have been collected from the Gangasagar Mela area over the last few days by teams focusing on recovering, segregating, and supplying the plastic waste to different reuse and recycling units.
This year, the teams are focused mostly on non-recyclable plastic. This category has not found many takers in previous years due to a lack of commercial value among kabadiwalas.
Non-recyclable plastic
Non-recyclable plastic items with a thickness of fewer than 50 microns or multi-layered plastic. These come in use for packaging are going to a cement factory in Odisa. Where they will come in use as fuel alongside coal, according to Sanghamitra Mukherjee, an independent waste management consultant.
Mukherjee is a member of the team collecting and distributing plastic.
The Gangasagar Bakkhali Development Authority (GBDA), a state government entity, has placed volunteers at the Gangasagar access point, on the beach, and the Mela grounds.
The volunteers took away plastic items from the visitors and gave them biodegradable bags for free.
“We’ve been doing this for three months. The goal was to reduce the amount of plastic bags entering the region,” said Sombhudwip Sarkar, executive officer of the GBDA.
While recyclable plastic is going to the local kabadiwala. The non-recyclable waste will be going to the cement-producing factory.
“All plastic goods contains a calorific value and may come in use as fuel. Because low-density plastic is difficult to recycle. We must find ways to repurpose it. One method is to burn this plastic trash as fuel. In the cement mill, the coal and plastic mixture would be around 90:10,” said Prasun Kanti Das, chief executive officer of Aamra Susama Jalaprapat. An NGO that works with 13 district governments in Bengal on waste management.
Das estimated that over 60% of the 50 tonnes of plastic garbage collected so far would be non-recyclable plastic. “About 60% of the weight is non-recyclable plastic,” he claimed.
On Thursday, the crews will continue their task of sorting and transporting various types of plastic garbage to various locations.