CHENNAI: A day after the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) conducted a public hearing meeting on setting up of waste to energy plant and other waste management facilities at Kodungaiyur dumping yard, city based activists warned that incinerators and waste to energy plants are false solutions to problem, which will cause other type of pollutions.
They put forth banning production of plastic is the only solution to prevent plastic pollution.
As a part of ongoing global level campaign against plastic pollution and false solutions, organisations such as Poovulagin Nanbargal, Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG) and Chennai Climate Action Group (CCAG) have conducted an event in Chennai to create awareness against incinerators and waste to energy plants.
R Madhuvanthi of CAG managing plastic waste causes more harm than good.
By 2040, production of plastic would double and the industry would promote false solutions. Bio-plastic and green plastic are also false solutions.
A narrative is being built that solid waste management is a solution to mitigate plastic pollution, she said.
Citing a waste to energy plant functioning in Delhi, Chythanya of Centre of Financial Accountability (CFA) said that the plant has affected the air and water in the city apart from affecting the livelihood of rag-pickers.
"Around 70 per cent waste in Delhi is being incinerated. Burning one kilogram of waste produces 5,500 litres of toxic gases, " he explained.
Geo Damin of Poovulagin Nanbargal said that plastic cannot be completely recycled as recycling repeatedly will result in downgraded plastic which cannot be recycled after two or three recycling cycles.
"Plastic industries give false solutions. Banning the production of plastic is the only solution. There are so many false solutions proposed like laying of plastic roads. To lay a plastic road, it should be shredded, which would lead to microplastics. Mixing plastic with hot tar will result in harmful gases and groundwater contamination, " he said.
Presently, Chennai Corporation is operating 5 waste to energy plants with a combined capacity of 8.8 tonnes per day.