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Green boxes for the houses to convert waste into fertilizers
Posted on: 24/Apr/2018 1:14:33 PM
In a recent development, new green boxes have been created and introduced which can help convert waste material into fertilizer just as done by the solid waste management systems.
The cleaning staff of the local administration or city corporation finds it a challenging task to handle the pile of waste material even in smaller cities like Arkonam.
The tasks of piling up the waste material, transporting them, dumping them in the solid waste management depots, and then initiate converting the waste into the solid waste management system are all performed with great difficulties.
There are grave risks in this system where even a minor mistake by the city corporation/administration can lead to a major disaster of the waste depots catching fire and the entire city is polluted.
In all the city administrations, the waste material is collected in 2 categories biodegradable and decomposable waste and the non-decomposable waste. In small cities, 20 to 40 tons of decomposable waste is collected every day whereas, in major cities, up to 100 tons of decomposable waste is collected every day.
These are converted into fertilizer under the solid waste management process. The non-decomposable materials are taken up for recycling. All the city administrations have taken various initiatives to reduce the extent of non-decomposable waste.
In this scenario, several city corporations including the Arkonam city administration have started introducing green boxes. In the 1st Phase of introductory usage, the green boxes will be set up in the hotels.restaurants and marriage centres.
A special meeting was conducted by the Arkonam city administration where the owners of the marriage halls and restaurants/hotels participated when the green boxes were introduced.
The Director of Sales, of Greenwich Grow India, T. N. Sridharan, who introduced the green boxes to the 1st phase users, explained in this regard:
‘Green boxes have now been introduced in the cities of Chennai, Trichy, Salem, Erode, Tirupur, and Coimbatore and have been in use. Generally, even now, we fail to sort out the waste material into the 2 basic categories of bio-decomposable waste and non-decomposable waste. So, most of us have to learn the system of categorizing the waste first. The bio-decomposable waste can be converted into fertilizers and the non-decomposable waste material can be taken up for recycling.
We have been creating awareness among the people regarding these green boxes over the last 7 years. Presently, the Arkonam city administration has been stressing the system of using green boxes especially in all the hotels/restaurants and the marriage halls.
The green boxes are available in the market from capacities of 50 litres to 1500 litres. In case larger green boxes are required, the people can approach our company, their demand will be met.
The costs of the green boxes vary from Rs. 3000 to Rs. 2 Lakhs. The bio-degradable or decomposable waste has to be dumped in the 1st green box. Once the 1st box fills up, the 2nd box can be used for this. The filled 1st box will have its contents concerted into fertilizers within 40 days.
This fertilizer can be used in the housese gardens and the roof gardens. This can be a good substitute and can be used as the base soil for growing plants.
There are 2 sections inside the green box. The top section will have the waste material and the water coming out of this section will be collected n the 2nd bottom section. This water can be used as a disinfectant for the gardens.
The special feature of the green boxes is that they do not at all give any foul or bad smell. Apart from the house gardens and roof gardens getting the fertilizers, if all the bio-decomposable waste in residential areas, hotels/restaurants/ and marriage halls are converted, most of the waste material collected outside will reduce to a great extent.
This would also protect the environment from factors such as pollution.Even the agricultural farmlands can use these fertilizers for better yields.
An announcement has already been made that the bio-degradable waste material from the hotels/restaurants and marriage halls will not be collected henceforth. Subsequently, the hotels/restaurants/marriage hall owners have been discussing this.
The environment protection enthusiasts observe that if the commercial set-ups start using the green boxes first, the public also would follow setting up the green boxes in their residences.
