Green plastics recycling process on offer

Kolkata's Centre for Quality Management System (CQMS) has developed a clean technology for waste plastic recycle that reduces pollutant discharge to the environment by as much as 90 per cent.

This will benefit the Rs 2,000 crore waste plastic recycling industry that has as many as 5,000 units all over the country using techniques that are primitive and polluting.

Addressing the press to announce the 'National symposium on plastic waste management', organised by CQMS, Jadavpur University professor S K Ghosh said, "A unique venture for recycling plastics waste has been developed by a research project group.

The process permits recycling of waste plastics but reduced emission from the extrusion process, the main process which generates pollutants.

Research was in progress for developing other related modules of plastics recycling process and there were likely to be ready by the next months.

"Cost of the equipment that can be retrofitted with existing machinery would range from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 for machines processing between 50kg to 150kg," Ghosh explained.

CQM is trying to develop a package along with finance options with banks that would permits units to install the equipment on affordable terms.

The waste plastic recycling (WPR) industry employs around a lakh people.

It has received no attention from the government over the last number of years.

The pollution caused by them was forcing their closure.

"The recycling units have not received any support from either the government or any other authority for all these years. The research team intends to educate the industry and this could result in sustainable development, and compliance with legislation and social responsibility," Ghosh added.

Talking on West Bengal, Ghosh said there were around 450 units in the state and their range of products included plastics granules, thin film, pipes, and decorative materials.

"WPR has its utility - in its absence the environment would have been filled with waste plastics because the country generates around 300 tonnes of plastics every day. The idea therefore was to develop a process which would recycle plastics in the green way," he added.