Sell your PET for Rs 5 a kilo

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on June 23, 2010:

CHENNAI: Hoping to get residents to segregate recyclable waste, the Chennai Corporation on Tuesday announced a novel scheme. Now, households can sell recyclable waste to conservancy workers at Rs five per kg.

The system would be in place only in the six zones where the civic body undertakes garbage disposal, namely Tondiarpet, Basin Bridge, Ayanavaram, Kilpauk, Nungambakkam and Saidapet.

Under the scheme, the Corporation's zonal incharge would give Rs 2,000 as cash advance to conservancy staff in the respective zones. The workers would have to use the money to buy recyclable waste like polythene bags, plastic covers, paper wastes, milk pouches and empty PET (Polyethylene tere­phthalate) bottles from residents.

The Corporation has also given the conservancy staff an incentive: The workers would be allowed to sell the procured recyclable waste to private scrap shops and keep the money made with themselves. Private scrap shops offer higher prices, which would enable the workers to earn some extra money.