Bhubaneswar : In a bid to create awareness about PET bottles’ recycling and dissuade citizens from littering, state minister for Revenue and Disaster Management Maheswar Mohanty and MP Pinaki Mishra inaugurated 3 Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) at Puri Beach, Bus Stand and District Hospital respectively, Saturday. They also launched a plastic bottle crusher at Swarg Dwar in Puri.
Speaking about the benefits of the PET bottle recycling, Pinaki said, “The linear ‘take-make-dispose (litter)’ method is proving to be inefficient and adversely affecting the environmental health of our state. The solution lies in replacing existing linear economic models with circular economic models to eliminate waste by increasing reusability and ensuring recycling of plastic waste such as used PET bottles. Increased awareness about PET recycling amongst the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators will help to tap a new revenue stream and generate thousands of job opportunities for the state of Odisha.”
President of Packaging Association for Clean Environment (PACE) Vimal Kedia believed that RVMs will encourage citizens to dispose 100 per cent recyclable PET bottles and earn a reward in return.
“These machines dispense discount coupons, when a person deposits a PET bottle or container for recycling. Reverse vending machines installed at these sites can crush 1,000 bottles a day, which are later collected and send to recyclers. The recyclers then turn these bottles into flakes to prepare textile thread to produce T-shirts, pillows, bags and mattresses,” Kedia said.
He also added that the plastic industry is all set to install more RVMs across the state to promote recycling and establish circular economic model.