Can this Garbage be treated?

We have hydrolytic cemnts which can sequester this type of organic waste--sometimes even use it as building material after treatment.

contact me at tesla-was-right@hotmail.com for more information.

Jonathan Hampton

Much of the material you see in the above picture as white material is actually Polethene bags used as carry bags and discarded after talking home the material or after consuming the material on the way. These are thin, light bags so they keep flying with wind. They make lot of dirty look and every where now. Even though government bans use of these non-degradable plastics, they are still produced and disposed freely. These are also uneconomic for garbage pickers as they have little weight in them.

If there is some technology to separate these from other degradable organic matter then somehow, these can be reprocessed. Disposing under land fill may not be the right solution as they will stop percolating water in the ground.

make the bags of a cellulose based polymer. They then degrade in 3=6 months in the sun or in the ground from bacteria.

Costs 50% more than polyethylene, but higher oil prices might make them cheapet one day.

laws need to mandate them as well.

I agree. It requires some change in general thinking. As long as there is that 100% gain, people will sneek in poor technology business to get into sale. Strict regulation is a must. We have lots of problem as law is not equally enforced all over the country and there is no law implementation in small towns for environmental protection. Another problem is that Polethene as a carry bag material is not a totally banned item, but only thin bags are banned. Government thinks that thick material will be collected and reprocessed. This is not true. People through these bags through windows of bus, train everywhere. They leave these on hill stations

I have even seen people carrying hot tea in those bags, which may cause cancer as in hot conditions, deadly organic matter can easily percolate in the hot tea from bag walls.

India is slowly gearing up in law enforcement for environmental issues. Many time people oppose these changes as their normal life gets affected. In long run they are to gain but they thing of now and not tomorrow. For many tomorrow is unknown and today they live.

If we find ways to reprocess this stuff then some cleanlyness can be achieved as I can't easily change the law and it is others work. I can only raise the issue and it is not a hidden thing and all are aware of the problem.

Hi

shyam. these plastic meaterial can be used after converting them in to granuels and can be used as an ingrident with concreate,brick making etc.Here in Bangalore its being used as an ingrident with Bitumin for road building and has been confirmed that this re-cyled plastic adds to life of the roads and take more weight then conventional roads.You can get in tuch with roads research institute who would give you more information little bit of Captial is required to work out the way use this waste and solve the garbage problem and generate revenue out this garbage

Making plastic roads out of these sounds very interesting one. However, I am somehow not feeling good to take plastics in the brick material used for house building, as plastic if a fuel and with bad emission under fire. Hence, a greater fire hazard and toxic in long run. Fly ash was not considered for home as it has lots of Radioactivity.

It should not be difficult to collect the plastic bag garbage. However, cleaning it may require specialized plant and technology. Converting discarded plastic bags into organic granules is a good idea. If I can get some cheap design of a plant for this purpose then it should be possible reduce the menace.

I think the plastic producers must also pay for plastic waste collection and reprocessing. They are polluting the environment.

Thanks for good idea.

Shyam - there are a number of ways to treat plastic waste like this but you need to address the issue of collection and separation before you think about the process for reuse/recycling. If you are looking at plastic only and can get a fairly clean source of mixed plastics consider a plant to make diesel. If the plastic is clean you will get 950 ltrs of diesel from 1 tonne of plastic. High CAPEX though - a 20 tonnes a day plant will cost $40M including civils and storage tanks. If you are looking at treatment of MSW generally with high organic content I would suggest you look at pyrolysis technology with power generation on the back end. In fact India is one of the world leaders in gasification technology so you have the basis for a good solution on your doorstep - you will find these in the villages usually using rice husk as the fuel source and fuelling Kirloskar engines for electricity. None of these technologies are cheap and unless you have legislation driving municpalities to stop landfill or you have a gate fee for landfill of $50+ then you will not make it work economically.

While your idea is good one, we may never use it as it requires lots of government funding and is uneconomic for public funding project. If government wan't to do it then they can hang any one dropping a plastic bag.

I need some simple affordable idaes such that pollution is not further spoiled. I liked that granule making idea and if that can be worked out economically then I will like to take up that as a project.

I will also create an wareness campaign among traders to avoid use of these plastic bags. I am not sure if that will work as there are people now having factories in the zone to produce these items. It is hard to control the floating public.

I am not sure if printed newspapers are safe for packing food items. In India, newspapers are frequently used by poor and middle class population. Newspapers must be having some harmful chemicals, that will easily leach out when in contact with wet food items. Plastic carry bags are also used for food items, oils, hot tea, general edible items. Chocolates are also packed in metalized plastic wrappers.

I have seen a documentary on garbage processing in Brazil. perhaps they can help India and can earn money from us. Some one from Brazil can inform their Government to talk to our Prime Minister and I am sure they will get the project for millions of dollars.

Solid waste generated can be seperated and re-processed by various methods.

Plastics , Rubber tyres, Glass bottles, kitchen waste, etc can be re-processed with proper waste management technics and equipment.

Medical Waste and Industrial waste have to be tackled with care with advanced methodologies.

Another serious problem is that plastic bags have some left over food stuffs in them and it is often eaten by cow as you can see a black color cow in the picture near garbage dump. Plastic gets collected in the stomach of the cow and finally cow gets killed when it becomes to much store of the plastic inside its the cow stomach.

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maybe prevention is better than a cure in Ireland there is a 30cent tax on the plastic bags(the thin type) most people use paper bags or cardboard boxes or of course reuseable bags im not sure what happens to the tax

I agree. Production of such items need to be taxed. However, that does not ensure cleaning. Government has money but does not spend it on cleaning unless there is serious disaster in the zone. Some cities now have awareness but most other cities are highly backward zones. India is not one type of zone but with lots of economic difference among its people and totally different life styles.

Shyam,

Waste conversion is my specialty. Accumulations of such debris can be converted and used to the benefit of the population which generated the waste. My systems and programs work. Experience includes work with municipalities and government entities. I was an inspector of landfills and various waste handling facilities. My techniques developed from many experiences.

I am eager to discuss solving the problem you have stated.

John Wear, PO Box 441 Cushing, Oklahoma USA, 74023, PHONE 228-324-5245

Dear John

If you have something that can be applied in cost effective way in India then I can put it up to the local government and perhaps they can seriously look for funding the project. Garbage cleaning is a serious problem in many cities of India. Let me know more details. Here is my address, where you can airmail me the information. I will need some time to understand the project, its benefits and its relevance to Indian environment. This process will take time that may run to months as I need to talk to Government agencies, who can fund the project. Please don't expect that I can decide the next day. However, I am serious about it. I am sure your experience may help solve the problem. If you wish to tell others in the forum then you can disclose some of the techniques involved such that we all can share the ideas and can filter the applied and useful to each one of us. Thanks.

Shyam Sunder Tiwari Ph.D.
Managing Director
Sensors Technology Private Limited
AM-51, Deen Dayal Nagar, Gwalior, MP 474020, India
Tel: 0091-751-2470680 Fax: 0091-751-4065716
Mobile: 0091-9300781887

Shyam,

Thank you for your rapid response and expression of interest in discussing matters further. I have read with interest, the several replys to your plea for assistance. Many of the ideas expressed can be of some positive use. It is good to see the participation and the values offered.

I was first faced with such challenges in 1974. Here it is 2006, and the problems having to do with human generated solid waste are not solved. We have, however, made some progress.

My first successes came after I discovered and began to apply the art of composting. We often apply compost techniques to control of yard and garden wastes and to the management of manure at large confined animal production facilities. The value of composting has been proven. It works well when done in coopertation with nature.

Accumulations of plastic bags, bakelite, glass, foils, aluminum and steel cans, the list of the usual trash and wastes which result from retail business transactions, are problematic in all the world's so-called "developed societies." The composting arts can be of great value in managing such wastes. Of course, source separation and recycling to marketable products has become the hope of many entreprenures.

We have found that we are often able to offer workable public policy suggestions and recommendations which lead to public education. Education can relieve many of the pressures. Such progress does not have to be prohibitively expensive, when all parties understand the human changes necessary to accomplish relief, and the simple science involved.

Product wrapping and bags used to carry product home, can be made of substances which are more photodegradable/biodegradable than what we now use. We are able to develop microorganisms which can digest and convert such by products. The exudates of the microbes used, can then become very useful in a variety of ways. These more natural ways of solving the problems you pose, are exciting to anticipate and even more exciting and beneficial in the doing.

I anticipate more opportunities to discuss these issues in the future.

Respectfully, John Wear

TRIDENT ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES & TECHNOLOGIES

Dear John

Thanks for detailed information. I think I am talking to an expert and is agood feeling.

About 15 years ago I had a meeting with a man who started a company named Exnora in Madras City. I was a nuclear scientist at that time and just for interest we invited him to talk about his technique to clean Madras City. He was a bank manager and given up job to start the company single handed. He made it profitable to clean the Garbage as he could generate energy out of Garbage and pay to the workers. He was also invited to USA by President Clinton. The local state Government actually disallowed him to collect Garbage. Recently, another Chief Minister of the same state has given the city cleaning job to Singapore Government. This shows that, all people know the problem but they look for solution as they wish and who should do it.

http://www.exnora.org/

The state in which I am now, is more backward and is developing. It has money and may consider new ideas. I will sure talk to them.

I am also looking into various types of wastes and their final forms. I agree that kitchen waste can be used as manure after composting and we do have those Hybrid earth worms here. They are supplied by the Government at almost token price.

Plastics will be real thing of worry so will work on that seriously. There is not much of Glass as that get sold on street and is reprocessed. some thick plastics, like buckets are also reprocessed.

I need to work on the amount of waste generated in medium size city, plant cost and how to make it profitable. Even if no serious gain is there, it should not be negative, as we in private business. No one will stop us from collecting waste. In fact families will pay if I collect the waste. In Madras even Gutter water is sold by the Government and it is reprocessed for drinking.

Kindly remain in touch.