Mobile RRRs to promote responsible waste disposal

Visakhapatnam: In a move to promote sustainable litter management, responsible waste disposal and share best practices, a customer awareness initiative was launched at RRR (reduce, reuse and recycle) centres in Visakhapatnam.

Taken up by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) in collaboration with ScrapQ in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, the citizen awareness endeavour also includes launch of mobile RRRs across the city in prominent places.

With recycling of waste and converting waste to wealth gaining significance, the initiative is considered an imperative step towards sustainable waste management, conserving resources and minimising environmental impact along with building awareness about RRR that can help individuals and communities make more environmentally-conscious choices in their day-to-day lives.

The mobile RRR services will be available to the citizens from April 1. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), under the Swachh Bharat Mission, introduced the Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle (RRR) Centres.

Working in tandem with the Ministry’s vision, the GVMC established six RRR centres across Visakhapatnam, each themed to educate and inspire citizens to adopt eco-friendly practices.

Strengthening public awareness and encouraging active participation, ScrapQ proposed the deployment of two electric vehicles (EVs) equipped with information, education, and communication (IEC) material. These vehicles will conduct outreach activities across all 98 wards and 100-plus GVMC schools, engaging communities and educating schoolchildren about sustainable waste management.

Integrated with Swarna Andhra - Swachha Andhra, the initiative of the State Government is aimed at not just reducing single-use plastics but also replacing them with reusable alternatives to foster a cleaner and more sustainable future.

ScrapQ has partnered with the GVMC to collect almost 150-plus types of recyclable materials across the citizens and further ensure that they do not end up piling up the landfills. Together, ScrapQ and GVMC will carry out awareness programmes for residents to make reduce-reuse-recycle an integral part of their daily life.

The organisation also specialises in collecting glass bottles from restaurants through dedicated and trained agents at the RRR centres. Also, the endeavour aims to promote responsible disposal practices.