Kumbakonam's plastic waste used as fuel in cement factories | The Cleanest Cities Of India | Ep-6

Executive Producer: Arnab Pratim Dutta
Managing Producer: Joel Michael
Camera & Editing: Joel Michael, Adithyan PC, Midhun Vijayan & Aishwarya Iyer
Voice Over: Aishwarya Iyer, Tushita Rawat
Motion Graphics: Sunny Gautam

To know more about solid waste management visit https://www.downtoearth.org.in/waste
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Cleanest Cities of India
Episode 1: Indore:    • The Cleanest Cities Of India | Ep-1 |...  
Episode 2: Kakinada:    • The Cleanest Cities Of India | Ep-2 |...  
Episode 3: Paradeep:    • The Cleanest Cities Of India| Ep-3| T...  
Episode 4: Mysuru:    • The Cleanest Cities Of India| Ep-4| M...  
Episode 5: Karad:    • The Cleanest Cities Of India | Ep-5 |...  
Episode 6: Kumbhakonam:    • Kumbakonam's plastic waste used as fu...  
Episode 7: Dhenkanal:    • Видео  
Kumbakonam! This temple city has set an example for tier-2 cities of India by effectively managing both its legacy plastic waste and new plastic waste, produced mostly by its thriving food industry. The city converts non-recyclable portions of plastic waste into refuse-derived fuel for cement factories and recycles the rest.

With an estimated floating population of 25,000 people a day, Kumbakonam had some serious decisions to make to spearhead this project and implement it. These have been showcased in this episode of ‘The Cleanest Cities of India’.

Kumbakonam is a special grade municipality situated in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. The temple town generates 72 tonnes of waste every day. Out of this, more than a third is non-biodegradable. Majorly plastic!

Unsegregated waste at Karikulam rose twenty feet above the ground, spreading over 7.5 acres of the 10.5 acres of the dumpsite area. The biggest problem remained the ever-increasing quantity of plastic waste, mostly of the non-recyclable variety (16 TPD), but also a sizable quantity of recyclable plastic (2 TPD). Since it was mixed with other wastes, there were no takers for it.

Segregation at source had to be mandated. It was also recognised as the most important step to create a plastic-waste free city. This was not an easy task for the Kumbakonam Municipality. They needed support.

Volunteers would also draw kolams at garbage vulnerable points to stop people from dumping waste. In time, the reluctance among citizens to segregate waste faded away.

The municipality has integrated authorised waste pickers into the management system, thus addressing the shortfall in the number of sanitary workers.

The authorized waste pickers asked the residents to segregate their waste before collection. Kumbakonam residents diligently cooperated with the request, which made the waste collectors' job easier.

All plastic waste is segregated into 2 parts, recyclable and non-recyclable. The recyclable plastic is converted into saleable material or products and the non-recyclable plastic is sent to the cement factory.

Simultaneously, Kumbakonam Municipality roped in Zigma Global Environ Solutions Pvt Ltd to reclaim the dumpsite. A resource recovery facility was set up on the land recovered at the dumpsite. The biggest triumph of Kumbakonam’s waste management system has been its processing of non-recyclable plastic, from the city as well as the dumpsite. Use of plastic as a refuse-derived fuel also reduces the need for pet coke in cement factories. Kumbakonam now sends its plastic waste to Dalmia and Ultratech cement factories. The municipality only bears the transportation charges.

All the bulk waste generators such as big shops, malls and hotels were in a hurry to find the next alternative for plastic. So, they suggested the use of plastic containers and reusable plastic for emergencies. However, Kumbakonam Municipality was adamant about getting rid of all forms of plastic and only use cloth bags and steel containers instead.

Chennai silks was one of the first companies to adopt the new regulations. They banned the use of its silk-like plastic covers, which they had been using up until 2017.

Kumbakonam’s case proves that processing single-use plastic is a technically feasible solution for a city with proper segregation of waste. However, proximity of co-processing facilities (like cement factories) is an essential factor for end-use of refuse-derived fuel, as the cost of transportation is a factor. Across the country, 11 projects similar to the Kumbakonam plastic waste processing model have been completed till now.

Kumbakonam has also found a viable market for reuse of recyclable plastic.

While the financial returns are not sufficient at present, the municipality considers it a profitable deal in terms of the environmental advantages of recycling or processing plastic.

Many cities and towns in India are already following the footsteps of Kumbakonam. This is the testament to its replicability.