As an effort towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's clarion call for the eradication of single-use plastic by 2022, NGO Indian Pollution Control Association (IPCA) has recycled more than 6,000 tonnes of plastic waste in the last three years.
The non-profit organisation has collected, segregated, and recycled 6,772 metric tonnes of plastic waste in the city of Dehradun since 2018, news agency PTI reported.
The estimated plastic waste generation of Uttarakhand was recorded at 31093 T/annum during 2018-19, as per a Central Pollution Control Board report.
IPCA, at the outset of its project, recognised that an engagement of all stakeholders was essential in order for the implementation of its inclusive model of plastic waste management.
The NGO collaborated with urban local bodies in the Uttarakhand city to devise means for source segregation of waste, PTI reported.
Methods for more efficient recycling of plastic material were subsequently put in place. This was accomplished by facilitating the education of the waste workers, who are now able to discern the difference between the various kinds of plastics.
“Uttarakhand is an ecologically sensitive state where plastic waste is bound to become more problematic in the coming times with increasing urbanisation and tourist activities. Therefore, our efforts are focused on counteracting the future plastic waste estimates," IPCA Director Ashish Jain told PTI.
The Uttarakhand government had announced a ban on single-use plastic carry bags, cutlery, and thermocol in the state in August 2018.
(With inputs from PTI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)