Corporate honchos promise to bring down solid waste

Will reduce garbage generation by 1,500 tonnes per day

Corporate honchos and key industry leaders, on Thursday, committed to reduce 1,500 tonne of solid waste per day in the City by World Environment Day on June 5.

The fourth day of ‘Wake Up, Clean Up Bengaluru’ fair saw marketing bigwigs, civic experts and BBMP representatives chalking out ways to tackle corporate waste and reduce the quantity of garbage handled by BBMP from the current 3,500 tonne to 2,000 tonne per day.

BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah said dry waste collection centres will be set up at all the 198 wards within three months. He said steps will be take to transform at least three wards in a constituency as zero-waste wards.

Britannia Industries Managing Director & CEO Vinita Bali, said her factory at Bidadi and Old Airport Road campus are garbage-free firms. “Once I decided to start zero-waste programme, it took three weeks to execute the plan.

Due to this initiative, BBMP is now receiving one tonne less waste per day. Some of my employees who practise zero waste management at their homes and apartments are given incentives. Giving incentives is an effective way to encourage people to practice waste management,” she added.

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Southern Region Chairman L Krishnan committed to make ten companies under his region as base of excellence, setting examples for other companies to emulate in zero waste management.

The Bangalore Chamber of Industry & Commerce (BCIC)  and Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FKCCI ) declared that they will award companies that show higher standards of solid waste management. The latter also announced they will launch pilot waste management programmes in key areas in Bangalore on February 15.

CII past president Aroon Raman and Microland Chairman & Managing Director Pradeep Kar, made a strong point of having a core team of three to four committee people for making their companies zero waste. Following this, each enterprise committed and put down the name of one core team member or evangelist who would drive the project.

ITC Paperboard Vice President — Commercial Jogarao Bhamidipati highlighted the serious problem of paper in India.

He said: “Around 22 trees are required for producing one tonne paper and India currently imports a lot of paper from overseas market. The Indian market requirement for paper is 11,000 million tonne and around 8,000 million tonne goes as garbage which can be recycled if segregated.

ITC is pioneering the concept of producing laminates made out of wrappers which currently goes to the landfill.”