Taking a step ahead in reducing carbon footprint, Kolkata is soon to get smart bins for disposing of PET bottles. The decision was announced during the launching event of smart bins yesterday. The initiative was taken by a private company which is said to be an eminent player of the sector in Eastern India.
This comes at a time when Kolkata Municipal Corporation is working extensively on waste management by segregating it from the source. The civic body is emphasizing waste segregation by distributing separate dustbins for biodegradable and nonbiodegradable waste among citizens. Echoing similar assertions, smart bins have been designed by the company to suit the Indian environment and enable a wider reach. The big size of the bin helps collection of large amounts of used plastic bottles. The bin has a sensor that will push notification of fill level to the data management center, ensuring timely and optimized collection routing.
The company also launched a food grade bottle-tobottle R-PET project in West Bengal for recycling of postconsumer PET bottles. The recycling plant is to be set up in Kharagpur by the company. Speaking during the launching event, KMC mayor Firhad Hakim said, “It is good that the initiative has been taken to clean up the city. Generally, after drinking water, the bottles are thrown which get accumulated at Dhapa and we have environmental problems.
I appreciate the step in which the bottles would be recycled. This would be helpful for KMC as well and we do not have to bother now as the bottles would be dumped in the smart bins and they would take it to their factory and recycle it. Every initiative like this will make our city cleaner, better and greener.”
Underscoring the initiative as unique, the minister for industries, commerce and enterprises, Dr Shashi Panja, said, “The bins have GPSsensors which will indicate on getting full. The initiative is unique as raw materials would be recycled to make the same number of bottles and there is no increase.