Give Plastic Waste, Get a Gift draws huge response in Chirala

Chirala: The Chirala municipality, which is performing better in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Swachh Sarvekshan for the last few years in urban local bodies, has taken one more step forward to reduce plastic waste in its municipality limits. It has introduced a plastic waste exchange programme on a pilot basis, since the celebration of Gandhi Jayanthi two days ago.

The municipality has already banned polythene and non-recyclable plastic covers in the town long ago. Due to pressure and constant monitoring of civic body officials, the hotels, restaurants, grocery shops, fruits, and vegetable vendors stopped giving polythene covers to customers and started insisting them to bring their own bags.

The local body also took up special drive to reduce the habit of throwing waste on the road by the public and identified black spots where heaps of waste piles up regularly. The officials made those places painted with the artworks of gods and religious symbols to discourage people to dump garbage.

Now, to increase the habit of recycling plastic waste among public and to make it easy for waste segregation, the municipality wants to pay back to those who cooperate with it. As a pilot project, the municipality has opened a shop at the tahsildar's office on October 2 to collect recyclable plastic waste from public and pay them with gifts.

The workers weigh the waste and pays back with fancy and stationary articles, small boxes, pooja articles and even discounted coupons to eat meals and biryani at noted restaurants.

The municipal officials found that the public is well responding to the new concept. Municipal Commissioner K Ramachandra Reddy announced that they have received about 250 kg of waste on the first day itself and expected more participation from people. He sought active participation of people in the programme for increasing sanitation and hygiene in the town.