Page 14 - CIJ March 2024 - Digital Edition

News Track

NDMC’s green initiatives for waste management

he New Delhi NDMC has secured the eliminated traditional dumping
Municipal Council has 7th position among India’s sites. These are now used Roll
taken proactive steps cleanest cities with a population Call centers for SafaiKarmis.
toward sustainable exceeding 1 lakh, because of There are also 36 GPS-enabled
Twaste management its waste management system vehicles for Municipal Solid
by establishing six community and integration of innovative Waste (MSW) collection that
Organic Waste Converters technologies. Comprehensive ensure a streamlined process
in residential areas. Through guidelines have been provided and an Integrated Command and
door-to-door initiatives, organic to Bulk Waste Generators Control Centre to monitor vehicle
(BWGs) practicing on-site
waste is collected and composted waste processing, fostering an movements and provide auto-
at these facilities. Over 1,500 environment-friendly community. tipper routes. There are six new
households have engaged in The Corporation has put in place Decentralized Material Recovery
home composting following the the resolution of many Service Facilities and all waste is diverted
distribution of composting bins Level Agreements. The improved to the Waste-to-Energy (WTE)
during a survey. daily door-to-door collection has Plant in Okhla.

Enzyme in laundry detergent can help recycle

single-use plastics in 24 hours

cientists have developed bioplastics break down into their plastic production, offering an
a novel method that chemical building blocks. Once efficient, scalable and sustainable
uses enzymes found in converted into monomers-single blueprint for recycling single-
laundry detergents for molecules materials can be turned use bioplastics, according to the
Srecycling single-use into equally high-quality plastic researchers.
bioplastics in disposable items for multiple reuse, according to
such as coffee cups and food the researchers.
containers. The method, described A recent Organisation for
in the journal Cell Reports Economic Co-operation
Physical Science, uses enzymes to and Development
“depolymerise”-or break down- (OECD) report
landfill-bound bioplastics into predicted that the
soluble fragments within just 24 amount of plastic
hours. waste produced
As per the study, the process worldwide is
achieves full degradation of the on track to
bioplastic polylactic acid (PLA) in almost triple
an approach that is 84 times faster by 2060, with
than the 12-week-long industrial around half
composting process used for ending up in
recycling bioplastic materials. landfill and
The research offers a less than a fifth
widespread recycling solution recycled.
for single-use PLA plastics, as The speed
the scientists at King’s College at which the
London, UK, found that in a bioplastics break
further 24 hours at a temperature down using this new
of 90 degrees Celsius, the method could revolutionise

MARCH 2024•Clean India Journal
14 www.cleanindiajournal.com