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 www.downtoearth.org.in/waste
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Cleanest Cities of India
Episode 1: Indore: • The Cleanest Cities Of...
Episode 2: Kakinada: • The Cleanest Cities Of...
Episode 3: Paradeep: • The Cleanest Cities Of...
Episode 4: Mysuru: • The Cleanest Cities Of...
Episode 5: Karad: • The Cleanest Cities Of...
Episode 6: Kumbhakonam: • Kumbakonam's plastic w...
Episode 7: Dhenkanal: • Video
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.

[@anitharaghavan111]

So proud of my native, Kumbakonam. The municipality is doing a great job.👏👏👏

[@sabari_sk]

Kumbakonam : Birth place of genius Srinivasa Ramanujan.

[@giridharanvasu1013]

its birth place many legends, M.S. Swaminathan, Director Shankar, Shiv Nadar did his schooling, MGR Brought up. so many people belongs to kumbakonam.

[@velrajveeraraghavan8577]

Me too

[@KireetiMara]

🤐🤐

[@Abc13223]

யோவ், குப்பைய பத்தி பேசுறப்போ என்னய்யா சம்மந்தமே இல்லாம ஒளருர. ராமானுஜம் அங்க பொறந்ததுக்கும் குப்பைக்கும் என்னய்யா கனெக்க்ஷன்? உட்டா கும்பகோணத்துக்கு அடுத்து தஞ்சாவூர் இருக்கு அங்க உலக புகழ் பெற்ற பெரிய கோவில் இருக்கு அங்கயும் குப்ப சேரும்னு சொல்லுவ போல

[@shashankbugy2282]

THANK YOU TEAM DOWNTOEARTH FOR THIS PRESENTATION ABOUT THE PRESENT DAYS HURDLES OF WASTE MANAGEMENT.I AM PROUD TO BE A ACTIVE VOLUNTEER IN MY TOWN KUMBAKONAM TO FIGHT TO KEEP OUR ENVIORNMENT CLEAN.

[@Clklom]

Congratulations to Kumbakonam People. Bravo.

[@reeshatoms2642]

This should be all over India 🌏🙌

[@BRIJESHVARMA]

A great series guys. Kudos to the DTE team for producing such content. Please do not stop. Awareness is the first step towards a possible plastic free environment and such content will help people to start taking steps in the right direction.

[@indianphilatelistandnumism5902]

Happy to see my city in one of the cleanest cities in india

[@varamsathya1935]

Great initiative by Kumbakonam Municipality !! Congratulations !!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@sanjeevanillanco9426]

Some great quality content from Down To Earth team. Very inspiring.

[@vigneshbaskar1541]

Kumbakonam Now Upgraded Corporation...🔥

[@shubhneet-fi1dx]

Environment is saved ..money is created and jobs generated .... Great 🙏

[@jithugeevarghese4823]

Good documentary, but it would have been beneficial to the viewers if you explain the use of plastic fuel more. Is the plastic is incinerated to use it as fuel, if so what are the measures taken to avoid air pollution. Wouldn't it make the pollution problem much worse if we use plastic to construct roads, aren't we spreading the waste throughout the country. What happens to the plastic waste which gets into the atmosphere when the plastic mixed roads wear, is there any measures taken to tackle this. Please address these issues also. Good videography, narration and presentation.

[@panangipallieee]

Great job you are doing...salutes...jai hind

[@shivank296]

Please Down to earth, provide us a similar practical documentary on the management of medical waste, as I am working on it. Your documentaries are the master piece.

[@mayankbansal250]

Hello, you are doing great work. Waiting for more such content.

[@aashnainayat2764]

Thanku so much for this dose of positivity!

[@aashnainayat2764]

In this world full of all kind of negativity ,rather than showing us the dirtiest cities , thanks for showing what we are doing right and where we should head !🌺

[@srinivasanjayakumar8931]

Namma Kumbakonam

[@vrajbrahmbhatt3581]

So proud of these people, their initiatives and my India as a whole, I wish that Mumbai should also adopt this excellent model of waste management.

[@dr.sukranmbbsmd1806]

Great initiative

[@sajeethadeeksha5214]

Proud to be born in kumbakonam

[@sureshmathevan5915]

Good one! 👍🏼

[@giridharanvasu1013]

But unfortunately when you guys uploaded this video, Kumbakonam promoted as Municipal Corporation. I can see it was mentioned as Kumbakonam Muncipality in most of the places in videos. If it is possible you people can edit it as corporation. Even in muncipality office building name was changed as Kumbakonam Municipal corporation. :(

[@KarthikeyanVisvanathan]

Thank you. In reality it is so different. Last one week what i observed was, all wastes are just burnt in the sides of the roads. Municipality workers are collecting from streets and dumping it in one place and burning it. From chettimandapam to ammachathiram I'm witnessing this daily.

[@indianphilatelistandnumism5902]

Sir தமிழா? Kumbakonam?

[@aathyanthantheinfinite111]

Happy and proud to say, Kumbakonam is my birth place.

[@akshay7809]

Good news ❤️

[@abadepill816]

Good 👍success

[@OublietteTight]

Great Series! Go India! What steps are the cement factories taking to capture their air pollution?

[@rammanohar4804]

Good

[@ashishvegas]

This should be done in All India 🇮🇳, want see all india clean .

[@shahzadazulfiqar1]

🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗 Whole Of Subcontinent Need To Find These Ways To Get Benifit And To Progress.

[@roopa4950]

Great initiative but what to do when from milk to bread, vegetables to meat, medicine or daily needs comes in plastic bags only? Hates to use them

[@AuthorBooksReader]

Wow!!! Such an great initiative!!!! Why government is not making any proper plans for waste segregation.?

[@VasudevanG-zf9tn]

Sir... Municipality plastic waste'a naanga eduthukalama pls rply

[@manisekar2768]

We are always lead the country!!!

[@SuperVinod7]

We the people should Co-operate & volutuntarily should stop using Plastic... For healthy lifestyle & for saving nature... Clean environment, reduces pollution, clean ponds, rivers, seas, lakes... 👍

[@34lokeshhatzade74]

Can I get detail report of these

[@lohith_sai]

Cost of transportation seems to be the major issue in this recycling process Other ways of tackling plastic waste:- *Using the waste as fuel *Using the waste for road laying

[@udishomer5852]

They are using the non-recyclable plastic as fuel (in the cement factories).

[@RGz-hh6zk]

Waiting for Surat episode because i am from Surat And i wanna know where we lack instead of getting praised

[@kalpanasundaresan6005]

Because Modi rules India, anti national elements hate India itself in the process of hating Modi.

[@anjanikumar6742]

Just one question:we are burning non-recyclable plastics,will it not cause air-pollution?

[@udishomer5852]

If burned as is, yes, but there are technologies to minimize pollution to almost nothing. If these technologies are mandated there is not problem.

[@DS-do9eq]

Plastic a sweet poison, many love.Isnt it?

[@baumi8125]

It's ridiculous that this isn't done in first world countries that have all the resources available to them, comparatively (that have been stolen from what are now poorer countries). Hopefully they'll soon follow India's example, though I somehow doubt it, they'll only do if it provides some sort of profit most of the time even if it provides incalculable benefits for the environment and for the people. (sorry to be pessimistic, it's great that this is being done in the first place just it's a sad state that the countries that could definitely do this if they wanted to (or the politicians/government wanted to) aren't already, instead we have greenwashed companies making keepsakes and brickabrack instead of actual change)

[@allanegleston4931]

too bad u couldnt save useable food for the poor and a meals on wheels program. eggscllent job.

[@ramakrishnansambandam962]

Not his birth place.

[@grk991]

Cleanest cities?????🤣🤣🤣

[@66652]

Love you❤ all💜ᗷTS⟭⟬💜 from Andhra💜ᗷTS⟭⟬💜 Pradesh Guntur India🇮🇳❤🙏