QR Code Based Garbage Collection Begins at Mangaluru Smart City
20/10/2020
The Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL) has begun implementation of its QR code-based Solid Waste Management System, which will cover all the 60 wards of Mangaluru, in a phased manner. The first phase will cover 88,000 houses; so far 5,000 houses have been installed with the QR codes and rest are expected to be completed by the end of November. Mangaluru will be one of the first smart cities in Karnataka to go live. The smart garbage collection system will help the City Corporation track the movement of the garbage vehicles, monitor the status of the garbage collection, provide provisions for the public to record complaints about garbage collection. QR code installed at houses can also be extended for other public services such as payment of electricity bills, property tax, and phone bills, among others.
INWASTER TIMES
SUMMARY OF WASTE NEWS FOR ZERO WASTE LOVERS !
Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu calls for responsible use of plastic
07/01/2021
Addressing the students, faculty and staff of the Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering & Technology (CIPET), Vijayawada, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu expressed concerns about the environmental challenges posed by the durability and longevity of plastics. He has called for a mass media campaign to bring behavioural changes in people on plastic waste disposal. He noted that the solution is not to avoid plastics but to ensure that it is used responsibly and recycled properly with next-generation research and indigenous technological advancements. He called for a nationwide campaign to educate people on single-use plastics and wanted media, civil society organisations, students and activists to be an integral part of the drive.
Menstrual hygiene brand Niine first to provide disposal bags with sanitary pads
07/01/2021
In March 2020, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar had announced that sanitary pad manufacturers must provide bio-degradable bags from January 2021 onwards. Menstrual hygiene brand Niine is one of the first companies to comply with this rule. This Indian brand has been working towards the inclusion of disposable bags in all its new launches, including those that come with a wrap and throw cover, without increasing the prices of the products. These safe biodegradable sealable disposal bags are Niine’s bid for a clean environment and to spread awareness that safe sanitary napkins are as important as menstrual hygiene.
Exchange plastic waste for food coupons in Kalyan Dombivli MC
07/01/2021
To encourage citizens towards proper disposal of plastic waste, the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation has introduced a scheme of giving food coupons to people on the collection of plastic waste. The scheme has been introduced as part of KDMC's zero garbage policy, wherein citizens will get a coupon for 'poli-bhaji' (chapati-vegetables) worth Rs 30, in return of 5 kg of plastic waste at a collection centre. The garbage collection centres have been planned at various places in the KDMC limits, including markets.
Tetra Pak, Coca-Cola India and GIZ join hands with Saahas for Alag Karo 2.0
07/01/2021
After successful completion of the first phase of Alag Karo - Har Din Teen Bin programme, Tetra Pak India, Coca-Cola India and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), have again joined hands with Bengaluru-based not-for-profit Saahas to extend the initiative’s reach in Gurugram and select locations in New Delhi. The main objective of Alag Karo 2.0 is to enhance the understanding and sensitivity towards sustainable waste management by promoting source segregation and sensitising over 100,000 people in the city through formal engagement with 300 waste workers. The second phase is focused towards independent houses, slums, small shops and street markets reaching 2,000 households initially and will render support towards existing RWA volunteers and apartment communities of the programme.
Antony Waste Handling Cell IPO launched on Dec 21
07/01/2021
Antony Waste Handling Cell opened its initial public offer (IPO) a second time in nine months on December 21. The company plans to raise Rs 300 crore by selling up to 1.96 crore shares at Rs 313-315 apiece. The waste management company that collects garbage from some of India’s biggest municipal corporations aims to tap the markets to raise funds and its investors seek to sell stake. The company plans to utilise the IPO’s proceeds to partly finance its waste-to-energy project at Pimpri Chinchwad in Maharashtra through investments in its subsidiaries AG Enviro and ALESPL. It also plans to reduce consolidated borrowings of the company and its subsidiaries by infusing debt in its subsidiary.
Bokaro Steel earns Rs 550 cr by selling waste it generated
07/01/2021
Steel major Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) has earned more than Rs 550 crore revenue in 2019-20 by selling its solid wastes. The company claims that it is utilising 98.12 per cent of solid wastes that are generated in different units inside the plant during the steel making process. Apart from this, the company is also saving around Rs 250-280 crore yearly by recycling or reusing these wastes again in the production process. BSL has won the prestigious Greentech Environment Excellence Award 2020 in “Recycling and Waste Management” Category this year. Of the 8 different wastes generated at the plant, waste refractories, Ferric Oxide and ESP (RMP) dust are sold while BF flue dust, mill scale and coke breeze are reused fully by BSL in its own production.
Mahindra World City, Chennai receives certification for Zero Waste to Landfill
07/01/2021
Mahindra World City (MWC), Chennai, built on environment-friendly principles, has become the first integrated city in India to receive third-party Zero Waste to Landfill (ZWL) certification. The certification was conferred on MWC Chennai by Intertek, a globally recognised organisation responsible for auditing and certifying ZWL sites. MWC Chennai is diverting 99 per cent of waste (nearly 135 tons) generated within its industrial zone away from landfills, thereby avoiding ~115 tonnes of CO2 emissions every month and generates nearly 40 tonnes of compost and 3,000 kg of biogas per month. The biogas produced fuels CNG generators, tractors and local shuttle buses, thus enabling environment-friendly transportation in and around MWC Chennai. Recycled items include multi-layered plastics, tissues and coconut shells.
MG Motors partners with TES-AMM for sustainable recycling of EV batteries
21/12/2020
MG Motors India has now joined hands with TES-AMM, a global e-waste recycling and end-to-end service provider for ensuring environmentally-sustainable and secure recycling of MG ZS EV batteries. TES-AMM has Asia’s only Li-ion battery recycling plant and one of the few companies certified in multiple management systems including 18001:2007/R2 (Responsible Recycling). The partnership will ensure that batteries not only re-enter the value chain but are also recycled while following the most eco-friendly protocols at the end of their life. MG launched ZS EV in early-2020 and has retailed more than 1,000 units to date in India.
H&M Foundation and Social Alpha commit $2M for innovation in waste management
21/12/2020
Sweden based H&M Foundation and Social Alpha, an innovation and venture development platform for science and technology start-ups, have joined hands to launch a nationwide grand challenge ‘Techtonic – Innovations in Waste Management’. The challenge will identify and curate locally designed, disruptive innovations addressing problems in waste management and improving the livelihoods of waste pickers. Top five winners will join the first cohort of Social Alpha Waste Innovations Accelerator and receive support in their lab-to-market journey. It will provide paid pilots, expert guidance, go-to-market strategy, ecosystem access and an opportunity to pitch for seed capital investment up to Rs 1 crore. The last date to apply to Techtonic is January 31, 2021.
ABITA and UNICEF, Assam, organizes orientation programme on SLWM
21/12/2020
Assam Branch Indian Tea Association (ABITA), with the support of UNICEF, Assam, organized a virtual orientation programme on Solid Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) under Swachh Bharat Mission (G) Phase II for 102 Welfare Officers of tea gardens. Welfare Officers from different tea gardens of eight districts participated in the programme which was focused to appraise the Welfare Officers about Swachh Bharat Mission (Garmin) Phase II, Solid Liquid Waste Management initiative and sustainable ODF in tea gardens. The officer provided information on guiding principles for implementation; the role of welfare officer for IEC; area of convergence with line departments and possibilities of MoU for effective implementation of SBM Phase II in tea gardens.
Circulate Capital commits $19 million for 4 Indian waste management cos
21/12/2020
Circulate Capital Ocean Fund (CCOF) has committed to invest USD 19 million (about Rs 140 crore) in four companies that are using technology and innovation to transform India's waste management and recycling value chain. The four companies selected are Srichakra Polyplast, Rapidue Technologies (Recykal), Deeya Panel Products (Ricron) and Dalmia Polypro Industries. In addition to previously announced investments in Lucro Plastecycle (Lucro) and Nepra Resources Management, CCOF will have more than USD 39 million (about Rs 287.4 crore) invested in India. Combined, these companies will directly create over 6,600 safe, stable and dignified jobs while preventing 5 million metric tonnes of plastic pollution from entering the environment by 2030.
Ranchi MC launches 5 e-waste collection points across the city
21/12/2020
Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has set-up 5 e-waste disposal points across the city for citizens to dispose of their non-functional and old electrical appliances and equipment. The e-waste collection points are at Nagababa Khatal, Harmu, Morabadi, Kantatoli and Khelgaon. All the collection points are set up at mini garbage transfer stations of the areas and will collect both e-waste as well as other domestic hazardous waste. The current plan is only for the collection of e-waste and the Municipal Corporation is exploring agencies for a tie-up to ensure its effective disposal.
Karnataka to get its first waste-to-energy plant
21/12/2020
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa virtually laid the foundation stone for Karnataka’s first waste-to-energy plant in Bidadi on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The 11.5MW power plant, set up on 10 acres of land, will process around 600 of the 5,000 tonnes of waste generated in Bengaluru and supply power to Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) resulting in annual savings of Rs 14 crore which Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike spends to transport and manage that amount of garbage. The plant is being set-up under the Centre’s AatmaNirbhar Bharat policy and most of the equipment used to create the facility will be made in India. The plant would begin functioning from 2022.
Pune start-up to ensure safe disposal of sanitary pads in Govt. ITIs, offices
21/12/2020
PadCare Labs, a Pune-based start-up, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra State Innovation Council to work on improving sanitary waste management across government-run Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), offices and institutions in the state. The two-year-old start-up has developed a smokeless and odourless sanitary waste management system and set a monthly target to prevent about 4,800 sanitary pads from reaching landfills and being disposed of in other unscientific methods by installing 40 collection units. The collected waste is sent for processing to ‘Saneco’, a processor with the capacity to churn 1,500 pads and produce recyclable-quality material.
Indore Municipal Corporation to make money from plastic waste
21/12/2020
Indore municipal corporation has become first in India to ink a pact with producer responsibility organisations (PROs) authorised by MP Pollution Board for disposing of plastic waste. Under the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016, IMC has signed a contract with 7 different PROs so that all plastic waste in the urban area will be disposed of regularly. The PRO has the responsibility of collecting plastic waste, its transportation and disposal, to ensure the management of the environmental negative impact of plastic waste from the beginning to the end of the plastic products. The first instalment of plastic waste was collected and handed to PROs; IMC got Rs 7.5 lakh at the time of inking of the pact.
Awareness camp on safe menstrual practices in Patna
07/12/2020
As a part of its ‘Swachhata Survekshan Mission’, to make the city clean, Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) organized an awareness camp on menstrual hygiene and waste management at Adalatganj slum areas. The camp was organised in association with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Diksha Foundation. The health camp started with an orientation session on the importance of menstrual health and hygiene, and also discussed waste management of used sanitary napkins in detail. Sanitation inspector and supervisor of the respective ward from PMC were also present there and appealed to people for safe disposal of sanitary pads. Around 237 young women and girls from Adalatganj were given sanitary pads
India on course to exceed Paris agreement emission targets
07/12/2020
A recent report by the Bank of America stated that India is well on course to exceed the emission targets under the 2015 Paris agreement and there could be $401 billion worth capital expenditure towards a green future between 2015 and 2030 period. The report said seven themes are playing out as India fights its pollution war. They include "cut in diesel use for cars/ pumps/ rail locos; natural gas intake at 15 per cent energy mix by 2030 from 6 per cent now; 450 GW renewable capacity by 2030 up from 90 GW now; stringent pollution norms for autos, coal power/ back-up power; the clean Ganga initiative; energy efficiency step-up for lights, fans, pumps, consumer durables, power plants, mobility, packaging, waste management; and as many as over 110 companies driving towards net-zero emission”.
Mussoorie adopts efficient solid waste management practices
07/12/2020
Tonnes of solid wastes generated due to tourism activity at Mussoorie, the popular hill station in Uttarakhand, is now being efficiently collected, segregated and treated, thanks to a partnership between the Mussoorie Municipal Council (MMC) and Keeping the Environment Ecologically Neutral (KEEN), a local NGO. The door-to-door collection is not only being done from all households but also hotels and other business establishments in lieu of a collection fee. All waste is segregated at source and as much as 600 to 800 kg of dry waste is collected every day from the town by KEEN. Moreover, a team of KEEN, with the support of volunteers are organising clean-up drives to collect waste randomly disposed of down the hill slopes.
Uttarakhand working on state-wide Environmental management plan to control pollution
07/12/2020
After the NGT ordered the state government to implement an environmental management plan to prevent pollution from rising in Uttarakhand and to conserve the environment, the state government has assigned the responsibility of preparing the environmental management plan for the state to GB Pant Himalaya Environmental Development Institute Kosi Katarmal. The team of about 10 scientists of the institute is engaged in this work. The plan will be prepared for all the 13 districts separately along with a comprehensive plan for the state. It will encompass an action plan for the disposal of all types of residues including waste, sewerage, bio-medical waste, plastics, building debris from cities, towns and other places in every district, and denoting the responsibility of the concerned departments in each district.
Rs 2 lakh crore investment made in 5,000 compressed bio-gas plants
07/12/2020
India will see an investment of Rs 2 lakh crore in setting up 5,000 plants that will produce gas from bio and crop wastes by 2023-24, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said. Under the Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative, the government is looking at setting up of 5,000 CBG plants by 2023-24 with a production target of 15 million tonnes. A Letter of intent for 600 CBG plants has already been given and with the signing of MoUs for 900 plants, a total of 1500 CBG plants are at various stages of execution. As much as Rs 30,000 crore investment is envisaged in these 900 plants
India has achieved 100 per cent access to toilet facilities under SBM
07/12/2020
India has achieved great success under the Swachh Bharat Mission and PM Modi announced that India is now free from open defecation. Around 110 million toilets were built in the country in the last five years and with 600 million people getting access to toilet facilities. In 2014-15, 43.4 per cent of people had access to toilet facilities. This figure increased to 84.3 per cent and 98.5 per cent in 2017-18 and 2018-19, respectively and a hundred per cent of people had access to a toilet in 2019-20. 10,71,13,973 household toilets have been constructed in the country so far since October 2, 2014. 6,03,177 villages have become free from open defecation, with 706 districts becoming free from open defecation.
Blue Planet Receives Investment Of USD10 Million From Sysma Holdings
07/12/2020
Singapore-headquartered Blue Planet announced an investment of USD 10 million from Sysma Holdings Limited, a Singapore-listed investment holdings company looking to tap into growing opportunities in the circular economy. Through this strategic partnership, Blue Planet will accelerate its efforts to deploy integrated, inclusive and sustainable waste management solutions around the region. Currently, Blue Planet has more than fifty decentralized organic waste management units and five plastic waste processing units of various sizes across South Asia including 4 in India. Other services and technologies provided by the company include non-hazardous e-waste recovery, large-scale landfill remediation and green building waste solutions.
Waste management firm Nepra raises Series C funding from Aavishkaar, Circulate Capital
23/11/2020
Nepra Resource Management Pvt. Ltd, a waste management company that operates under the Let’s Recycle brand, has raised Rs 134 crore ($18 million) in its Series C round of funding. The funds were raised from existing impact investor Aavishkaar Capital and new impact investor Circulate Capital. Founded in 2011, Nepra Resource built a supply chain that connects dry-waste generators and collectors to recyclers, integrating more than 1,700 waste-pickers into the formal economy. The firm can process over 500 tonnes per day of waste across Ahmedabad, Indore and Pune. The funding will help Ahmedabad-based Nepra Resource expand its geographic footprint and scale its operations.
Hindustan Unilever and Xynteo create digital curriculum on Waste Management with Maha Govt.
23/11/2020
Hindustan Unilever Limited and India2022 Coalition led by Xynteo announced a collaboration with the School Education Department, Government of Maharashtra to launch a year-long initiative ‘Waste No More’. The initiative offers specially curated digital school curriculum on waste management for public schools’ students through DIKSHA app, developed by the Government of Maharashtra. The digital curriculum is curated by Academy for Earth Sustainability (AES), organisation engaged in co-designing, building, and facilitating experiential learning programs and focuses on the Waste No More programme, self-learning modules, interesting interactive content and cartoon animation videos to ignite students’ and teachers’ passion for the environment.
Pune Volunteers set up plastic banks in housing societies
23/11/2020
Pune Ploggers, a group of volunteers who pick up trash while jogging and trekking in collaboration with the city-based start-up Recycle It, are setting up plastic banks in various housing societies across Pune city. The initiative includes collecting metal, glass, plastic and e-waste to be donated or recycled and turned into products such as dustbins and benches to be gifted back to the community. Six housing societies across the city have signed up for this initiative where plastic banks have been installed and will be collected fortnightly. Dakshesh Patil, founder of Recycle It, said, “We are seeing a change in mindsets of residents. Within one week, the plastic tank in our society was full.”
Ramky Enviro partners with GHMC to launch Construction & Demolition waste recycling plant in Hyderabad
23/11/2020
Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has announced the launch of a new Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste recycling plant. The Jeedimetla C&D waste recycling plant is a state-of-the-art processing facility equipped to handle the collection, transportation, processing and management of C&D waste generated in and around Hyderabad. The plant will have the capacity to process and recycle up to 500 tonnes of C&D waste per day and will operate under a public-private partnership model. The plant will help to address the long-standing issue of construction debris dumping on roadsides, open plots, and other places by recycling it and recover more than 90% of the materials collected.
24 companies, including Tata & RIL, pledge to be ‘carbon neutral’
23/11/2020
Joining hands with the government to take India towards the path of lower greenhouse gas emissions, as many as 24 top private companies, including Tata, Reliance, Mahindra, ITC, ACC, Adani and Dalmia Cement, have signed a declaration on climate change by voluntarily pledging to move towards ‘carbon neutrality’. On the occasion of the India CEO Forum on climate change, the heads of these industries briefly described how they would collectively take the country to ‘net zero-emission’ goal aligning themselves with India’s commitment under the Paris Agreement. The commitment will be achieved through nine specific mitigation measures listed by the companies in the declaration. These include promotion of renewable energy, enhanced energy efficiency, water-efficient processes, green mobility, planned afforestation and waste management & recycling.
ITI Berhampur enters Asia Book of Records for its largest open-air Scrap Sculpture Park
23/11/2020
The Industrial Training Institute (ITI) Behrampur, Odisha has entered the Asia Book of Records for its largest open-air Scrap Sculpture Park. The open-air Scrap Sculpture Park (SSP), named The Mind Heart and Hand Show, consists of 20 big sculptures upcycled from scrap material. The 20 sculptures ranging from 7 feet to 70 feet are being designed, fabricated, and installed in an open space on the campus. The sculptures include a giant guitar, Iron Man, Terminator, Dolphin, Turtle, Helicopter, Chetak, Predator, Spotted Deer, Robot, Reindeer, Lizard, Peacock, Huge Cow, King Kong, Fishing lure, Tank, Hanging Fish, Giraffe. Two sculptures of them are also in the pipeline to be recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Tirumala hill shrine to sell fertiliser made from waste
23/11/2020
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has obtained licence from the government to sell fertiliser made at its solid waste management units on site. The TTD has been laying special focus on waste management for the last year. As per a 2019 May estimate, about 90 metric tons of non-hazardous solid waste is generated every day on the hill shrine including 30-40 MT of wet waste consisting of food and other bio-degradable waste. The remaining is dry waste such as paper, plastic, glass, wood and iron. About 6,000 tons of fertilizer made from the wet waste generated at Tirumala is ready for auction in the first phase. The trust board in principle decided to supply the fertilise to farmers on a no-profit basis.
Netherlands-based NexusNovus to set up integrated SWM plant at Bengaluru Airport
23/11/2020
The Netherlands-based firm NexusNovus has been contracted to set up an integrated solid waste management centre at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in the Bengaluru. The plant is set to be the first such waste processing unit in India where the waste will be picked by e-vehicles and then mechanically sorted into recyclable and organic waste. The organic waste will be used to produce power from biogas, which in turn powers the e-vehicles and the non-degradable materials will be recycled. The system projects that no waste will be sent to the landfills. The firm is expected to complete the project in nine months and may receive about 20-25 tonnes per day of waste which will increase to about 60 tonnes when the second terminal is operational in the next 2-3 years.
US, UK Biggest Sources Of Plastic Pollution while India is Far Behind
10/11/2020
According to a latest research, among the 20 nations with the highest total plastic waste production, the US was ranked the highest followed by UK, South Korea and Germany in terms of per capita waste generation. The US is 4% of the world’s population, yet it produces 17% of the plastic waste. The analysis shows that US’s production of plastic waste in total may rank as high as third in the world in contributing to plastic pollution in the oceans. Previous work had suggested Asian countries dominated marine plastic pollution and placed the US in 20th place, but this did not account for US waste exports or illegal dumping within the country that amounted to almost 8m tonnes making the total 42m tonnes annually.
Lahaul task force to check litterbugs in the valley
10/11/2020
Since the opening of the Atal Tunnel, the tribal valley of Lahaul-Spiti is drowning in litter. To curb this menace, the local administration will be deploying a task force to handle the garbage spillers and educate the tourists. With increase in tourist flow expected over the coming winter, there will be cleanliness drives and proper disposal of waste. The administration will also place dustbins at tourist places and deploy toilets for the visitors. The task force will include patwari, panchayat secretaries, and forest guards. Cleanliness campaigns will be run at the worst-affected places.
Lucknow city waste management of 5600 houses to be handled by 50 women
10/11/2020
Fifty women of Self Help Group of District Urban Development Tribunal (Duda) have been entrusted with the management of waste from around 5600 houses in Sector C, F, F-2, Extension, N and N of Vidyavati ward in Lucknow city. Each woman has been given the responsibility of picking up garbage from 110 houses for which they will be paid six thousand rupees monthly from the user charge received in lieu of garbage collection. Waste will be collected in four categories- green dustbins will contain wet garbage, blue dustbins with dry waste, domestic hazardous garbage in black and yellow dustbin containing sanitary napkins and medical waste. Women are also given pink saris as uniforms and i-cards along with Municipal Corporation emblemed receipt books for user fee collection.
The Body Shop celebrates Diwali with Plastic For Change India Foundation
10/11/2020
This Diwali, The Body Shop India has partnered Plastics for Change (PFC) India Foundation to make a difference for female waste pickers. With the launch of Project N. A. R. I. (Nutrition - Ability – Retraining – Inclusion), The Body Shop will extend support female waste pickers in Bengaluru. The project is aimed to positively impact their financial, health and family's well-being in the long-term. The brand has also set up Project N. A. R. I. fundraising across all its stores and online for voluntary consumer donations of INR 20 from its customers, and for every customer donation, the Body Shop has promised to donate an equivalent amount for this cause. The Body Shop aims to create awareness and raise upto INR 5 Mn over the next 6 months towards the needs of female waste pickers.
Kerala’s Muhamma village promotes biopods for waste management
10/11/2020
A novel organic waste management project has been kicked off in Muhamma Gram Panchayat, which involves conversion of organic waste to manure and fish and poultry feeds. Under the project, ‘biopods’ or a type of a compost bin will be set up at households, poultry farms and fish farming centres to decompose organic waste to usable nutrient through larvae of Black Soldier Fly. The project will help families to generate income from the organic waste produced from their farms and houses. The project is being executed at the grama panchayat with the help of Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), a Bengaluru based non-profit organization.
Schools hold different events on E-Waste Day
10/11/2020
Delhi Heritage School, Sec-22, Rohini organised an Eco-Ramp Competition where students created costumes using the best of waste and presented them online through photos and videos. They dressed up in innovative costumes made from a wide variety of waste materials like old CDs , bangles, paper glasses, leaves and newspapers etc. The competition was judged by renowned classical dancer, film and TV actress Madhu Sachdeva and E-certificates were given to the winners. Ryan International School, Sohna Road, Gurugram organised a webinar to celebrate International E-Waste Day as a campaign for students to become engaged in real-world problem solving. It is an initiative by Clean to Green under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in association with the Digital India Campaign where students participated in competitions like creating blog posts, writing poems, slogan writing and drawing illustrations on the theme of ‘Connect N Collect’.
Bin that butt to save the environment goes digital on World Cleanup Day
10/11/2020
Let's Do It India (LDII), the Indian subdivision of 'Let's Do It World' organisation, launched The Fugitive campaign to stir awareness around the severe environmental impact of cigarette butts while shifting behaviours to regulate butt litter. The organisation aims to instil a lasting change in the way solid waste is dumped in India. LDII is working towards educating people on this kind of waste and also encourages people to collect and donate their cigarette butts to the organization for recycle purposes. The NGO targets to collect about 1 crore cigarette-butts (3 tonnes approx) until the end of 2021. They are also working with the government authorities to put a warning on cigarette packets about the toxicity of butts and to dispose them responsibly.
Panaji to go with 16-way waste segregation
10/11/2020
The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has decided to introduce greater segregation and has called for 16-way segregation. The new norms are applicable for residential complexes, hotels, restaurants, government departments and government residential complexes. Even hospitals will be required to segregate waste into various categories such as sharp items, e-waste, ceramic items, cloth and other fractions. CCP’s new Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Bylaws mandate that every waste generator shall store, segregate, process and treat waste in accordance with the said bylaws. All waste generators will have to segregate and hand over the waste to CCP as per the new fractions. CCP has given all stakeholders a month to comply with the new norms.
Panasonic underlines responsible disposal of e-waste in new campaign
10/11/2020
Panasonic India marked International e-waste day with the launch of an awareness campaign, #DiwaliWaliSafai on responsible disposal of e-waste. The campaign encourages consumers to be more responsible this Diwali with their cleaning by giving their old unused electronic devices for recycling. The endeavour is to educate and also help consumers to responsibly dispose of their e-waste by offering free of cost home pick-ups for large appliances and assistance in identifying closest collection centres. As part of the campaign, Panasonic is also running a contest inviting consumers to share images and their stories of the e-waste they are disposing responsibly this Diwali on its social media handles.
Show Cause notices Issued 10 companies for flouting Plastic Waste Management Rules
20/10/2020
While submitting a report before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has stated that show-cause notices have been issued to 10 companies for the closure of their operation and levying environment compensation. NGT had passed an order in September seeking enforcement of 'Extended Producer Responsibility' under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 vis-à-vis the Respondent-companies namely: Amazon, Flipkart Coca-Cola India, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, PepsiCo India, Bisleri International, Parle Agro, Patanjali, Nourish Co Beverages Ltd. (Himalayan Water), Indian Railway Catering & Tourism. The report further states that the CPCB may consider ordering Environmental Audit against these 10 firms.
8 of India’s beaches have been tagged clean, safe and environmentally friendly
20/10/2020
Eight beaches in India have been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag certification. The Blue Flag certification is a globally recognised eco-label accorded by "Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark" based on 33 stringent criteria and is an eco-tourism model endeavouring to provide the tourists or beachgoers clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities, safe and healthy environment and sustainable development of the area. The tag is as an indication of high environmental standards. India was also awarded the 3rd Prize by the jury under “International Best Practices” for pollution control in coastal regions. Japan, South Korea and the UAE are the only other Asian nations who have been conferred with a couple of Blue Flag beaches.
Dubai firm to help curb stubble burning in Punjab, produce energy from waste
20/10/2020
Dubai-based waste management solution provider Averda is set to provide municipal and farm waste management in the northern city of Amritsar to offer a solution to the deadly smog caused by stubble burning. The burning of crop residues is seen as a major contributor to the smog that shrouds most of north India during winter months, raising the risk of heart and lung diseases and harming the country’s economy. Even though the government has made the practice illegal, it still continues. Averda is attempting to cut the practice of farm fires by providing an alternative to the farmers to burning.
QR Code Based Garbage Collection Begins at Mangaluru Smart City
20/10/2020
The Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL) has begun implementation of its QR code-based Solid Waste Management System, which will cover all the 60 wards of Mangaluru, in a phased manner. The first phase will cover 88,000 houses; so far 5,000 houses have been installed with the QR codes and rest are expected to be completed by the end of November. Mangaluru will be one of the first smart cities in Karnataka to go live. The smart garbage collection system will help the City Corporation track the movement of the garbage vehicles, monitor the status of the garbage collection, provide provisions for the public to record complaints about garbage collection. QR code installed at houses can also be extended for other public services such as payment of electricity bills, property tax, and phone bills, among others.
MoU inked for use of Hubli-Dharwad solid waste to generate power
20/10/2020
As part of its efforts to ensure effective disposal, management and utilisation of solid waste in the twin cities, the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) will soon be using the garbage to generate power. The civic agency will soon put into action its plan to transform waste into torrefied charcoal – roasted or scorched charcoal – that can be used at thermal power plants instead of fossil fuels. An MoU has been signed with a subsidiary of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), – NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd (NVVN). The project aims at utilising 200 tonnes of solid waste generated in the twin cities daily for conversion to fuel.
Dow India launches Rethink+, India's first digital waste management
20/10/2020
Dow Chemical International Pvt. Ltd (Dow India) launched its first digital waste management platform Rethink+, a unique plastics take-back program that aims to prevent post-consumer plastic waste from going to landfills by digitally connecting waste generators, waste aggregators, waste processors and recyclers. The initiative is in collaboration with Recykal, a technology company providing cloud-based solutions for the waste management and recycling industry, and a waste management non-governmental organisation (NGO) Keshav Sita Memorial Foundation Trust. Through a mobile app, citizens can list their recyclables and schedule a collection or drop off their items at designated collection centres for recycling and/or upcycling, earning reward points for online vouchers for each transaction. Rethink+ was piloted in Pune, a city in the state of Maharashtra, earlier this year and 810 metric tons of plastic waste collected in five months.
Pepsico and United Way of Delhi launch ‘Why Waste’ campaign
20/10/2020
PepsiCo India in partnership with United Way Delhi has launched a unique digital initiative #WhyWaste. As part of the programme, community members such as school & college students, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and the general public are being encouraged to share creative ideas to reuse and upcycle plastic waste. The campaign, launched on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti aims at reducing and reusing plastic and upcycling the non-biodegradable plastic waste generated at home and communities. Over 2,500 student groups and resident welfare associations across the city have been making eco-bricks out of discarded plastic waste under this campaign. The top five RWAs that collect the maximum eco-bricks will receive the recycled furniture for their association.
Mumbai group clears 10,500 kg trash from waterfalls, pitches for a policy
20/10/2020
Forty-five volunteers from Mumbai-based environment group ‘Environment Life’ along with a team from the Navi Mumbai municipal corporation (NMMC) removed 240 kg of trash from the Shiravane waterfall in Nerul, Navi Mumbai. This is the group's 13th waterfall cleanup drive. Since 2016, the group has removed 10,500 kg trash comprising non-biodegradable items such as liquor bottles, thermocol plates, plastic spoons, packaged water bottles, wafers packets, footwear, clothes etc. The group includes residents of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Vasai-Virar, and Thane in the age group of 12 to 65 years. The group has also requested the Maharashtra tourism development corporation (MTDC) for developing a waterfall tourism policy including waste management at these sites.
Online Training on Sustainable E-Waste Management by CSE
20/10/2020
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has been working on policy and advocacy for sustainable E-waste management and the need to adopt resource-efficient waste management regimes. Based on this, it has conceptualised one-week online training programme on `Sustainable E-Waste Management'. The objective of the programme is to provide a better understanding of the key aspects of e-waste management in India and international case studies, legal aspects and effective management practices of e-waste purchase and consumption behavioural changes to strengthen and foster `Circular Economy'. The mode of training would be online with a proper mix of interactive sessions with subject matter experts on E-Waste and its management and flexibility of on-demand literature, virtual presentations and cases studies.
Hyderabad-based Caspian invests in cleantech start-up GPS Renewables
07/10/2020
Hyderabad-based Caspian, an impact investor, through its SME Impact Fund IV, along with the Netherlands based Hivos-Triodos Fund has invested over Rs 22 crore in Bengaluru-based cleantech start-up GPS Renewables. GPS Renewables was founded in 2012 by IIM Bangalore alumni Mainak Chakraborty and Sreekrishna Sankar and deploys biogas technologies to solve the organic waste management challenges and promote the substitution of fossil fuel with bio-energy. The company’s core products are BioUrja, a modular biogas plant and BiogasBot, a proprietary artificial intelligence solution for remote predictive bioprocess management and has over 100 installations across India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Hulladek recycling launches rewards to recycle your e-waste campaign
07/10/2020
Kolkata based e-waste management company Hulladek Recycling has launched a unique campaign 'Rewards to Recycle your E-waste' to incentivize and reward people to recycle their defunct and useless electronic and electrical waste. The company has tied up with numerous brands like Pee Safe, Organo Mania, Babeehive, J4K Just for Kids, 145 East, KiiKii, FlashhApp across Kolkata and Jamshedpur, to provide gifts in exchange for their e-waste across the country. When people schedule a pickup of e-waste products with them or go directly to drop off their e-waste, in return, they can avail offers on various products or get rewarded with gifts for the e-waste materials.
Tetra Pak partners with Waste Warriors to boost collection of used cartons
07/10/2020
Tetra Pak has tied up with solid waste management NGO Waste Warriors to increase the collection and recycling of used beverage cartons (UBCs) in Dehradun and the nearby areas of Uttarakhand. This is Tetra Paks 30th collection partner in the country and the collection network will now include 31 cities and 14 Indian army cantonments, covering 22 states and Union Territories. Both organizations will work on raising awareness among the waste-picker community about the value they can derive from collecting and selling UBCs and also increase awareness about waste segregation and recyclability of paper-based beverage cartons among consumers. The collected cartons will be sent to Khatema Fibres, a local paper-mill, for recycling, which has been a recycling partner of Tetra Pak since 2013.
Forest Essentials Partners With RIL To Recycle Plastic Waste Packaging
07/10/2020
The global leader in the PET manufacturing space, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) will undertake to recycle waste plastic packaging for Forest Essentials products and convert the plastic into high-quality eco-friendly materials. Forest Essentials will set up a collection facility in their stores across the country, starting with a few cities and slowly expanding to a pan India presence. Customers will be encouraged to drop empty jars and bottles of the Brand at these stores via an empties collection and reward programme. RIL will then process the recyclable plastic into secondary applications such as new fibers, bottles, containers, carpets, clothing, industrial strapping, rope, upholstery fabrics, boat sails, automotive parts, fiberfill for winter jackets, sleeping bags, construction materials, and other such items.
Jalandhar municipal Corporation organises digital poster making competition on waste management
07/10/2020
Jalandhar MC organized a digital poster making competition from 25 to September 28 under the Municipal Corporation's My Garbage My Responsibility campaign. People of the city were encouraged to make posters with the idea of waste management and send it to the municipal corporation via email or upload to their social media accounts and tag the Municipal Corporation. The competition was open to all and the civic body is certain that such initiatives would help in increasing the citizens' responsibility and awareness towards proper waste management.
Ludhiana MC launches ‘waste to wow’ campaign
07/10/2020
To involve the city residents in garbage management, Ludhiana civic body has launched a “waste to wow” campaign, wherein residents will be encouraged to go for home composting and create wonderful things from waste. The target is to involve at least 10,000 households by year-end. A competition will be held for residents who are already home composting and 12 persons will be awarded for best performance. Compost pits will be created at 922 parks and three progressive wards will be selected for an award. Proactive councilors will get Swachhagrahi Award by October-end. There is also a proposal for establishing a lab and creating crafts out of waste with the help of NGOs. Citizens who will upload maximum pictures of such crafts on the MC Facebook page will be chosen as Pride of Ludhiana. The contest will be from September 30 till November 30.
Coca-Cola India Aids the Rejuvenation of Sukkhad River in Madhya Pradesh
07/10/2020
Anandana, The Coca-Cola India Foundation, in partnership with Rajputana Society of Natural History Bharatpur (RSNH) completed the development of rain-water harvesting structures for Sukhhad River in Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh. Completed amidst the pandemic challenges, the project undertook the revival of rivulets, and construction of two check dams and series of structures to conserve and replenish the groundwater levels leading to facilitate optimal water for drinking, agriculture and overall functioning of the ecosystem. The conserved water will potentially support the communities for at least two seasons and benefit over 8500 people and 1400+ households, across the Sejgaon, Rajawat, Palwat, Talwat, Titi and Kharpai villages. Additionally, it has enabled harvesting of more than a billion litres of rainwater bringing 95 hectares of land under irrigation besides offering employment to the villagers during the pandemic restrictions.
Eight Indian Beaches Recommended For iconic Blue-Flag ecolabel
07/10/2020
According to a report by the ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEFCC), 8 Indian beaches- Shivrajpur (Devbhumi Dwarka, Gujarat); Ghoghla (Daman and Diu); Kasarkod (Karwar, Karnataka); Padubidri (Udupi, Karnataka); Kappad (Kozhikode, Kerala); Rushikonda (Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh); Golden beach (Puri, Odisha); and Radhanagar (Andaman and Nicobar Islands) have complied with are under consideration for the Blue Flag certification. Only a few beaches in Asia have been conferred the certification, and none Indian. Blue Flag is a voluntary eco-label for the cleanest and most developed coastal areas in the world, awarded by a Denmark-based jury of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). The results are expected in less than a month.
WNews summarised by Shraddha Zende
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