Non-recyclable plastic is proving to be a huge menace for the entire world. India alone generates around 25,940 tonnes of plastic waste every day.
With so much plastic waste around us, something needs to be done to deal with it efficiently. And these people are doing their innovative bit in helping us getting rid of plastic while also caring for the environment, simultaneously.
1. Professor Satish Kumar, a mechanical engineer from Hyderabad has come up with an innovative concept of making petrol out of used plastic.
He owns a company named Hydroxy Systems Pvt Ltd. which is registered with the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
Since 2016, his company has converted 50 tonnes of non-reusable plastic into fuel. Currently, the company is producing 200 litres of petrol daily from around 200 kg of plastic and is selling it to local industries at ₹40-50/litre.
2. Dr. Rajagopalan Vasudevan devised the technology to convert plastic waste into a usable form of tar.
His project has caught the world’s attention, so much so that civic bodies from other countries have been keen to buy the technology. Instead, he chose to share the technology with the Indian government for free.
Today, more than 12 Indian states are successfully implementing his idea.
3. An NGO in Bengaluru is turning old plastic into anti-slip and recyclable tiles.
A Bengaluru-based non-profit organisation, Swachha has come up with a solution that can convert discarded plastic waste and convert it into recyclable tiles and irrigation pipes.
These tiles can be used for pavements, apartment walkways and swimming pools because of their light weight. Moreover, these tiles are heat resistant, fire retardant, and can carry up to 35 tonnes of weight.
4. Teenagers in Tamil Nadu designed low-cost urinals using used, damaged and leaking 20 litre plastic bottles.
The students came up with this idea after they got troubled by persistent stench in their classrooms because their schools didn’t have proper toilets.
Low-cost, lightweight, and durable, the ‘Safe Mode Pissing System’ as it is called, is easy to install in places that have poor infrastructure.
5. Students of IIT Madras are turning plastic waste into fuel using solar power.
The students and researchers at IIT Madras have developed a solar-powered system to convert non-recyclable plastic into fuel.
The technology consists of a mobile unit that can collect and process plastic waste and yield around 0.7 litres of fuel oil per kg of plastic.
It seems that innovation is the key that can help us tackle the problem of ever-increasing plastic waste in long term.
