CMC introduces zero-waste program

Shirley WIJESINGHE

The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) has planned to introduce zero-waste programs in locations where garbage piles up in bulk, Solid Waste Management Division Director P. Thangamayil told the Daily News.

The program will be initially introduced to the Viharamahadevi Park and extended to the other locations shortly, he added.

All organic material collected from the park and the vicinity will be utilized to manufacture compost. Part of the production can be marketed and the rest will be applied to fertilize the green cover of the park. Nearly new food waste will be directed for animal feeding, Thangamayil said. The main objective of the proposed program is to minimize the waste collected in the city to be transported and disposed and to cut down unwanted expenses for transporting, he said. Meanwhile, the CMC will make a special effort to segregate domestic and industrial garbage at their own premises.

As the CMC is facing great difficulties to dispose garbage collected in the city, a decision has been taken to group the segregating garbage in three stages of reduction, recycling and reusing. The CMC appealed to householders and commercial and industrial establishments to segregate the garbage within their premises and hand them over to the collectors.

Bio-degradable waste in the Green bin, Paper and cardboard in the Blue bin, Polythene and plastics in the Orange bin, Glass bottles in the Red- bin, Metals in the Brown bin and coconut shells- separately.

Segregated garbage, except bio- degradable waste can be handed over to the Eco-Kiosk Centers of the CMC. All hotels, condominium apartments, markets, shops, hospitals, schools, companies, camps are advised to keep and maintain separate coloured bins as indicated for the collection of segregated waste.

Details could be obtained from the Director Engineering ( Solid Waste Management) on 2691222.