Ludhiana to soon have plastic recycling machines

The proposal, a part of the Ludhiana smart city mission, will have a provision of giving away reward coupons for recycling plastic waste in the machines.

Ludhiana With an aim to encourage recycling of plastic waste, the Municipal Corporation (MC) has initiated a first-of-its-kind project to install plastic reverse vending machines at different locations in the city.

A plastic recycling machines set up at civil Hospital in Ludhiana. It will become operational before the end of the month. (HT Photo)

The proposal, a part of the smart city mission, will have a provision of giving away reward coupons for disposing plastic waste in the machines.

A total of 10 machines have been proposed to be installed at such venues as Civil hospital, the bus stand, Sarabha Nagar main market, Model Town’s Gol market, Dugri market among others at an estimated cost of ₹50 lakh and will be made operational in the next two weeks.

The authorities said the locations are subject to change depending on feasibility and the amount of plastic waste generated from particular neighbourhoods.

The machine will accept and crush plastic bottles, aluminum cans and multi-layer packaging, all shiny flexible packaging, ketchup, toothpaste tubes and have a bin capacity of 2,000 100ml to 2500ml bottles. The crushed, compacted material will then be sent for recycling.

MC commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal, meanwhile, said the machines are being supplied by a contractor who will also be looking after the maintenance for the next five years, following which the civic body will take over charge. He added that the aim of the project was to reuse plastic waste and put an end to littering.