Dairies in Pune ready to set up recycling plant if PMC makes land available

In 2018, the state government had banned single use plastic bags, putting the onus on dairies to collect and recycle used pouches. Dairies were asked to set up a buyback policy for pouches from consumers.




Dairies in Pune have expressed their willingness to set up plants to recycle their plastic pouches if the Pune Municipal Corporation(PMC) makes land available to them. Prakash Kutwal, secretary of the Milk Producers and Processors Welfare Association, said Thursday that talks with the PMC about land being made available are underway.

In 2018, the state government had banned single use plastic bags, putting the onus on dairies to collect and recycle used pouches. Dairies were asked to set up a buyback policy for pouches from consumers.

But dairies had told the government that there were several problems in the system, including lack of storage place and required know-how to handle used pouches. Dairies had stated that a majority of pouches are sold to recyclers and not many end up at landfill sites.

Dyaneshewar Molok, joint commissioner of PMC, said the civic body will process the dairies’ request for land once the proposal comes from them. “Once the proposal comes, we will place it before the general body of the PMC and then hand it over to the dairies. Investment in machinery and technology should be done by the dairies,” he said.

Every day, 3 lakh litres of milk is sold in plastic pouches in Pune and at least 7 tonnes of these pouches end up in landfills.

Most dairies said they are planning to rope in wastepickers’ association SWaCH to collect and segregate plastic pouches. Customers, dairies said, were wary of storing or selling used pouches.

Dairies have started printing the buyback prices on pouches to coax consumers to sell back the used pouches. “Once the land is made available to us we will finalise the capacity and other details of the plant,” he said.

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