Pune Municipal Corporation joins hand with BASF for waste management

Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has joined hands with the leading global chemical company BASF to promote smart management of organic waste through the use of certified compostable and biodegradable organic waste bags. At a seminar held on September 6, 2014, in Pune, entitled ‘Challenges and solutions for solid waste management’, participants in an interactive dialogue session with municipal employees discussed the complexities of efficient waste management, and potential solutions for Pune.
 
Dr Raman Ramachandran, Head South Asia & Chairman BASF Companies in India said, “According to a report by the Central Pollution Control Board, waste going to landfill in India contains around 50% organic matter by mass, which then does not biodegrade aerobically and produces methane, a greenhouse gas many times more potent than carbon dioxide.”
 
He added, “Instead, when source-segregated, the organic waste can be treated in an industrial composting facility, and turned into high quality compost for agricultural use. Certified compostable bags made with BASF’s ecovio offer a more sustainable alternative for organic waste management, thereby contributing to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, extending the lifetime of landfills, and helping to decrease the disposal costs for residual waste.”
 
Certified compostable bags enable the hygienic collection of organic waste: they prevent liquid leaking from organic waste and keep out unpleasant odours. Additionally, as the bags are certified compostable, they can be processed immediately upon arrival at composting sites, to be quickly converted into high quality compost. This nutrient-rich compost in turn helps improve the soil quality, treat loss of arable land and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
 
BASF has already been involved in several projects worldwide to demonstrate the potential of composting as a feasible and effective waste management option for organic waste. In 2012, with the support of PMC, BASF launched a pilot composting project in Pune. The project was aimed at promoting composting of source-segregated organic waste in certified compostable and biodegradable organic waste bags.
 
Suresh Jagtap, Joint Commissioner, Pune Municipal Corporation said, “We have previously worked with BASF for an awareness project wherein we used ecovio bags for organic wastes. At the end of 90 days, organic waste which was source- segregated and collected in BASF’s ecovio bags had completely biodegraded.”
 
He further elaborated, “It is our constant endeavour to reduce waste in the city as much as possible and these bags are the solution we have been seeking. Through this seminar, my colleagues have become more aware of the measures we can undertake to ensure maximum organic wastes are biodegraded. I would like to thank BASF for their efforts and hope to see a greener Pune soon.”
 
Ecovio is made of the partially bio-based ecoflex and polylactic acid (PLA). Like the biodegradable waste itself, the ecovio waste bags can be completely broken down by microorganisms with the aid of enzymes. At the end of the composting process, the microorganisms can completely convert the bags into carbon dioxide, water and biomass. The bags can help reduce the amount of organic waste that ends up in the regular garbage cans, contribute to protecting the environment, and also lower the disposal costs for residual waste.