Plastic waste to fuel for cars? Thane civic body seeks nod for trial

The Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) in Thane district has applied to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), seeking its nod to implement a project of producing fuel from plastic waste.

The civic body said the move comes after it successfully produced 85 litres of fuel from plastic waste on Tuesday as part of a trial.

The plastic waste-to-fuel trial project was carried out at Barave in Kalyan, the KDMC said in a statement on Wednesday.

Following the success of the trial, the civic body has applied to the MPCB for permission to produce fuel from such waste, it said.

Under the project, one tonne of plastic can be processed in order to produce around 500 litres of fuel.

"This fuel can be used for oil boilers, and testing is underway to see if it can be used for vehicles also," a civic official said.

The KDMC is carrying out the project in association with Rudra Environmental Solutions, the statement said.

Recently, the KDMC introduced a scheme of giving food coupons of 'poli-bhaji' (chapati-vegetables) to people on collection of 5 kg of plastic waste in a bid to encourage citizens towards proper disposal of plastic.

KDMC's deputy commissioner of Solid Waste Management Ramdas Kokare said the scheme has been introduced as part of civic body's zero garbage policy.

"The town has been grappling with the garbage menace and we have been taking several measures to address it. As part of the latest initiative, we have appealed to citizens to collect their plastic waste. If they give 5 kg of plastic waste at a collection centre, they will get a coupon for 'poli-bhaji' worth ₹30 in return," he said.