Bhilwara takes initiative to use plastic for roads, fuel

ROADS MADE FROM PLASTIC ARE REPORTEDLY STRONGER AND WATER RESISTANT AND THUS LONGER LASTING THAN

TARRED ROADS

JAIPUR: An initiative in Bhilwara could help the city turn plastic free and, in the process, serve as an example for others. Polythene bags, milk pouches, plastic bottles and wrappers will now be used in construction of roads and as fuel in cement plants.

Bhilwara collector Rajendra Bhatt said Justice (retd) Deepak Maheshwari had called a meeting a meeting of all stakeholders such as the municipal council, the Bhilwara dairy, traders and NGOS on December 5 to discuss ways to reduce pollution and plastic waste.

During the meeting, Maheshwari, who heads the solid waste management committee set-up by the NGT for Rajasthan, mentioned how plastic was being used by the NHAI in building roads and he sought suggestions from the participants on how they could contribute towards a cleaner environment.

“Several suggestions were given and we will see how we can implement them,” said Bhatt.

Bhilwara dairy MD LK Jain said in the meeting he proposed that the dairy would buyback milk pouches from customers and give it to the NHAI and PWD for building roads.

He said the NHAI officials had approached him and asked if he could provide them crushed plastic.

“After discussions, we have ordered a shredding machine from Ahmedabad at a cost of ~1.6 lakh that will crush the plastic pouches into small pieces which we will then supply to the NHAI for constructing roads,” Jain told HT.

He said around 1 tonne of plastic per day is generated by the Bhilwara dairy from sale of milk and the NHAI is willing to take all the waste. He said the dairy is also in talks with a company from Thane, Maharashtra, to sell the shredded plastic.

Jain said roads made from plastic are stronger and water resistant and thus longer lasting than tarred roads. Roads built using plastic can last up to 10 years as against those made from tar coal which last 4-5 years.

The process entails putting the plastic through a shredding machine and getting plastic powder. The gravel and the tar coal are heated to 160 degrees Celsius and mixed with the shredded plastic and a mixture is created which is laid down to make roads.

Bhilwara municipal council commissioner NL Meena said the council too is providing plastic to the NHAI. He said the polythene bags seized from godowns and warehouses during raids is given to the NHAI for use in construction of roads.

Meena said the local body is now planning to set up three to four primary collection centres where waste collected from the city will be brought and segregated. Bhilwara generates around 120 tonnes of waste per day, he said.

“The biodegradable waste s ol i d wil l be used t o make manure while the solid waste from which non-combustible material such as glass and metals are removed, will be shredded and converted into pellets. These pellets known as Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) will be used as fuel in cement plants,” he said.

Meena said polythene, plastic bottles, glasses, tobacco pouches, thermocol and biscuit, chips and chocolate wrappers can be used in this process. He said the RDF will be supplied to cement plants in Chittorgarh.