Proposal to collect milk sachets gets poor response

Dakshina Kannada Milk Producers' Union Limited's (DKMUL) ambitious project to collect milk, curd, buttermilk plastic sachets and CPP (cast polypropylene) bottles of flavoured milk from customers through dealers has received a lukewarm response.

“The response might be poor due to customers themselves handing over the milk sachets to scrap dealers. Even bulk buyers of milk, curd and buttermilk have failed to hand it over to the dealers for scientific disposal,” Dakshina Kannada Milk Producers Union Ltd President Raviraj Hegde lamented.

He said, "We want to know whether the customers are facing any problem in handing over plastic sachets to the dealers or whether a vehicle is failing to collect the sachets from the dealers to be transported it to the DKMUL office in Kulashekar?."

Hegde said, "The public can air their grievances on handing over the milk plastic sachets by calling toll free number —18004259333.”

He said the plastics used by the DKMUL is above 50 microns in thickness and has permission to use it. As a Corporate Social Responsibility, the union initiated a drive to collect sachets and CPP bottles for recycling from October 2.

There are 1,650 dealers in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts and 104 milk distribution vehicles. The customers can hand over the cleaned milk sachets to the dealers, who will hand it over to the milk supplying vehicles which in turn will transport them to the DKMUL office.

The DKMUL had authorised M/s Nature Friendly Recycle Industries and Dry Waste Handling as a nodal agency to recycle the collected sachets and bottles. About 1.5 tonnes to 2 tonnes of plastic sachets and CPP bottles are used daily by the DKMUL.