Plastic isnt that bad after all

BANGALORE: It seems the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is taking serious action to curb the plastic menace in city.While the Palike is already conducting drives on banning plastic bags which are below 40 microns, they are also constructing many plastic waste plants in Bangalore which will convert plastic to crude oil.So, next time when you find plastic chairs, tables, vessels or pots, broken and dumped, do not think about only the adverse effect on the environment.The BBMP in association with private companies is planning to convert the plastic waste to useful crude oil. This is said to be first of its kind in Karnataka, while similar plants have been set up in Chennai.An official said that they have already called for tenders to set up a plastic waste plant in Mandur. This will be given to a company on a private partnership model through tender, for which tender has already been called by the BBMP.According to the tender, the BBMP will provide land to set up the plant. The private company is expected to collect plastic from garbage collection centres.In Bangalore, everyday, around 5,000 tonnes of garbage is produced which is segregated into dry and wet waste. The plastic waste from these will be collected once in a week, an official said.According to the official, at the Mandur plant, 10,000 litres of crude oil can be produced from 10 tonnes of plastic waste. Of which 80 per cent of the crude oil produced will be given to the petroleum companies.Remaining 20 per cent will be utilised by the plant for the mechanism, the official added. When contacted Geetha Shashikumar, chairperson of the standing committee for health said that proposal to set up more plastic waste plants has come to the committee.“We have approved to set up two more plants in Kudlu as well as D G Halli. We will also meet for a budget session soon to include these two projects,” she said.The former standing committee on health B S Manjunath Reddy when contacted said that a tender for setting up a plastic waste plant in Mandur was called in February 2011 during his tenure. He said that because of the BBMP officials’ cold attitude, the project did not take off that time.