Sinu and Bhaskar were at the dumping yard in Lakshmipura last week, and happened to capture some pretty horrible images of waste picking. Feeling that it was important to share this with others, they made the short video, accessible through the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nnIAe8siPk&feature=youtu.be
A friend commented as below, on a Yahoogroup, after viewing it:
If this video does not convince someone that that the current "wisdom" doing the rounds as the "right way for SWM"is faulty , nothing else will. Rag picking is scavenging as , simple as that. This should be a first (and immediate) emphasis of any SWM thinking ..
Until we admit that unsegregated waste (and lots of it), is a reality for quite some time to come, we will have pipe dreams while ragpickers and those around landfills, continue to suffer. Once you admit unsegregated waste is a reality, different solutions/ methods/ approaches start to at least be considered.
I agree. So, what may be the solutions, beyond segregation?
Muralidhar Rao
Forward this Blog entry
Comments
Rag Pickers are the unpaid saviors of ugly urban waste.. see...
Have a look at the Vision Statement on SWM presented to Mysore City Corporation that contains some useful suggestions that are under consideration/pilots, in this link:
http://praja.in/en/blog/v...
Vasanthkumar Mysoremath
Wet Garbage and Dry Garbage compost
I was checking with one truck person who was loading only leaves from our company presmises,
All the dry leaves only were collected neatly at one place daily and loaded into trcuk full. They are taken to place after Yelahanka on Airport Road for Vermi Compost. That means, same compost will get sold in open market at rate Rs 50 75/- per Kg for citizens or farmers.
That means all the Juice Centers, Sugercane centers, Big Darshanis, Tender Coconut vendors can make money even from these left over, if Govt provides wet collection centers thru people who are involved in Vermi Comost and pay those who bring this above mentioned wet waste.
Other thing these Vegitable, Fruit and Flower markets like Yesvantpur, Yelahanaka, KR Market, near electronic city Fruit Market
Automatically, large chunk of Wet Garbage Generation will come down.
Thermocol disposing even though it form 1% of hazardous waste
Problem of thermocol waste disposal :
In Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits 3.65 lakh kg thermocol waste generated in the city every year.
PCMC is planning to set up a thermocol waste processing plant that will recycle nearly 3.65 lakh kg thermocol waste generated in the city every year.
Thermocol is used in large quantities for industrial and packing purposes, as well as in eateries in the form of thermocol plates and glasses. In fact, every day, nearly 1,000 kg thermocol waste is disposed of in garbage bins, rivers or nullahs leading to pollution.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/PMC-to-set-up-thermocol-waste-processing-plant/articleshow/12155568.cms
Thermo-catalytic degradation of thermocol waste to value added
Thermo-catalytic degradation of thermocol waste to value added liquid products
Thermocol is the commercial name for the expanded polystyrene (EPS) and is produced from a mixture of about 90-95% polystyrene and 5-10% gaseous blowing agent, most commonly pentane or carbon dioxide. This is one of the highest consumed polymers produced due to its versatile application in different fields particularly in packaging. Due to its non biodegradability and high volume it constitutes a major fraction in municipality waste stream.
http://dspace.nitrkl.ac.in/dspace/bitstream/2080/1638/1/Thermo-catalytic.pdf
Good paper to understand how difficult to dispose of the Thermocol compared to even plastic. Even 1% of Thermocol is problem for disposing whcih even polution boards and their chiefs never given thought for this.
Estimate how much Bangalore may be generating the Termocol wase every year compared to Punes stastics.
Manufacturers will have to take back thermocol : Tamilnadu
“It affects water bodies and chokes stormwater drains”
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) will insist that manufacturers of electronic goods take back thermocol, which is classified as a hazardous waste, used as packaging material. “It is their responsibility. We will soon write to them to ensure that the material is recycled,” said its Member Secretary K.Karthikeyan.
Though thermocol forms less than one per cent of municipal garbage as it does not weigh much, the amount of waste is quite high considering the fact that electronic goods such as television sets and refrigerators come packed in at least six pieces of thermocol. This hazardous waste also finds its way into ponds and the sea. It also chokes stormwater drains, he added.
TES AMM Recyclers India Pvt. Ltd., a company that is involved in recycling electronic waste, has been processing over 75 kg of thermocol every week. “Along with e-waste we get thermocol. Because we cannot throw it away we have developed our own technology by which the volume of thermocol fed in the machine gets reduced by 90 per cent. We have obtained the required permission from the TNPCB and CPCB for our process. There is no burning involved. The capacity of the machine is 10 kg per hour. We granulate the thermocol and then process it,” explained V.Arumugam, Executive Director, TES- AMM.
The Tamil Nadu Waste Management Limited of the Ramky Group, which collects and disposes hazardous wastes from over 900 industrial units across the State, also processes a small amount of thermocol. “For industries in and around Chennai, we have a facility at Gummidipoondi. The companies wanting to dispose off their thermocol have to obtain authorisation from the TNPCB. We scientifically incinerate the thermocol,” said a source.
Arun Senthil Ram of Toxics Link said that “most Thermocol, in the State is only dumped in municipal landfills. We have proper processing facilities only in north India. The problem with this packaging material is that, like plastics, it is not biodegradable and could lead to contamination of ground water due to leachate from garbage dumping yards. The Chennai Corporation must take steps to collect this waste separately.”
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/manufacturers-will-have-to-take-back-thermocol/article2767773.ece
Practically use of Thermocol should be banned for all day to day use like Packaging, Making models, Food plates, Tea Cups, Water Drinking glases & other day to day activites by Thermocol, except for Temperature maintaining. Its most polluting substance fo ground / earth compared to other forms.
Can any one share more info on Thermocol : how much is beeing produced, which cities are most affected by Thermocol throwing.
Polystrene Fast facts : Should be banned for day to day use
Very good article and every Citizen should read this.
Polystrene is non biodegradable, takes several decades to hundreds of years for Polystrene to deteriorate in the landfill.
It takes more space then other waste.
http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic967858.files/PolystyreneFactSheets.pdf
Which all Cities have banned Thermocol in the world ???
New York City, Amherst, Massachusetts; San Francisco, California; and Portland, Oregon, Portland
http://www.ecomaine.org/portland-moves-toward-banning-styrofoam/
It's increasingly unwelcome in communities across the USA.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/21/polystyrene-foam-ban/4141835/
Road Map on Managment of Waste in India
Road Map on Managment of Waste in India
By Ministry of Environment and Forests / GOI
http://moef.nic.in/sites/default/files/Roadmap-Mgmt-Waste.pdf
Thermocol Ban in Indian Cities : Legal Battel
Pune Muncipal Corproation planned for Banning Termocol : Court Intervention
http://www.sakaaltimes.com/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsId=4882194005822864518&SectionId=5494605966908300850&SectionName=Civic&NewsDate=20140402&NewsTitle=PMC%20in%20dilemma%20over%20banning%20thermocol
Guwahati Municipal Corporation bans Sale, Use and Throw of Plastic and Thermocol in Public Places. May'2012
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120516/jsp/northeast/story_15492708.jsp
Ban on Use of polythene, thermocol in Jorhat
http://www.sentinelassam.com/state1/story.php?sec=2&subsec=2&id=119124&dtP=2012-05-30&ppr=1
Why Central Govt ( GOI ) and Environmental Ministry keeping quite on banning Manufacture and use of Theromcol in day to day life.
Great work by Pune Municpal
Great work by Pune Municpal Corporation. This is unlike the half baked efforts undertaken by our city administrators.
Jharkhand Bans Thermocol Plates, Promotes Leaf Plates
harkhand Chief Minister Raghuvar Das today imposed a ban on the sale of thermocol plates with the move aimed at the promotion of leaf plates in the state.
Das, who was on two-day visit to West Singhbhum district, including to naxal-affected Saranda, made the announcement on the concluding day of his visit.
The move will help generate employment for the poor and tribals who are engaged in making leaf plates, he said. The ban is for the entire state, he added.
http://www.newindianexpre...
GOK is planning to ban only Thermocol Cups and plates in Bangalore.
http://www.deccanherald.c...
What about the Thermocol packing material used. Central Govt take steps to ban Thermocol in all forms except fot the medical purpose.
Why not blend Thermocol with plastic & bitumen and lay roads?
http://praja.in/en/blog/v...
Thermocol dissolves with any petroleum solvent. Why not blend Thermocol with plastic and bitumen for laying roads that are durable, economicle, environmentally safe, helps motorists to drive safely on smooth roads without deadly potholes / crates on roads and also get better mileage with reduced ware and tare? BBMP has laid a few roads (Mr.KK Khan & Company - innovators of plastic roads in Bengaluru were asked by BBMP to lay plastic roads earlier).
The problem in our country is that we allow things to happen and then start lamenting. Stretch Polyesterene (Thermocol) was introduced in 1951 by using some of the waste material or residue of petroleum product, whether due diligence or checks and balances were conducted before allowing mass production is debatable. Many countries have banned use of thermocol but as usual under-developed and developing countries are found to be good market places for such environmentally hazardous material from the business world of West. Since we have allowed it, let us find alternate use till it is completely banned. Make plastic/thermocol roads.
Vasanthkumar Mysoremath
WIll these facts covince Karnataka to ban Theromocol use
p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }a:link { }
No country has yet completely outlawed the use of Styrofoam in foods although many local governments throughout the world have implemented strict bans. Styrofoam, also called polystyrene, is not biodegradable and takes 500 years to break down, which is harmful to our environment. Plastics fill between 20 and 30 percent of the worlds landfills, according to Business Barbados.
Cities which have banned Styrofoam : California, Seattle, Toronto, Paris
http://www.ehow.com/list_...
Indian cities / METRO cities can take lead in banning Styrofoam ( Thermocol ) which is used in packing, food plates, drinking glasses and doing models in for childrens and decoration.
p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }a:link { }
p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }a:link { }
POLYSTYRENE BACKGROUND:
Polystyrene foam, commonly known by the name "Styrofoam" is formed by adding a blowing agent to polystyrene, a Petroleum-based plastic material. Polystyrene foam is light-weight (about 95% air), with good insulation properties, and is used in all types of products from cups that keep beverages hot or cold to materials that protect items during shipping.
p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }a:link { }
Over 100 US and Canadian, as well as some European and Asian cities, have banned polystyrene food packaging as a result of the negative impacts to humans and the environment.
p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }a:link { }
http://isites.harvard.edu...
Read more : http://www.ehow.com/list_7686702_countries-banned-styrofoam.html
@Vasanthkumar Mysoremath its true
Your views are very much true but same time, we are slow in taking corrective actions when the issue is known about the Theromocol, GOI should circulate the draft circule in banning Thermocol and provide alternate recyclable packaging material and also invest in R&D for this. This is worth to ensure cities are not struck in Garbabge issue