Chennai, Mar 7 (IANS): The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has come up with a novel idea to dispose of plastic waste -- deposit 'Green Bricks' and earn money.

The corporation in association with NGOs like Resident Awareness Association of Coimbatore (RAAC) and Rotary Club of Coimbatore Texcity has launched the 'Green Brick Initiative'.

A senior official of the CCMC said that to make a 'Green Brick', crush and stuff dry plastic wrappers in a one or two-litre plastic bottle and push the waste to the bottom of the bottle until it becomes rock solid. Bottles that are less than one litre are rejected.

Interestingly each 'Green Brick' that weighs around 4 to 5 kg fetch Rs 5.

The CCMC has opened 12 collection centres across the city and people can drop the 'Green Bricks' at these centres every Saturday till February 26, 2023.

The CCM officials said that the idea evolved after the Vellalore dump yard in Coimbatore district crossed the 1,000 tonne-mark. The 'Green Bricks', according to the officials, would be used for building benches and compound walls across the city.

Rajagopal Swaminathan, Secretary, Kovai Green initiative, an NGO based out of Coimbatore said, "This is one of the best measures taken by the CCMC and this would lead to a lot of plastic waste being concentrated into one place and can be value-added for making benches and compound walls. The menace of plastic waste can be reduced by this novel concept."

People of the area are also happy as they can dispose of the waste and get a small amount of money in return.

Madhumitha, a student of Class 12 in a government school of Coimbatore told IANS, "I have collected plastic waste, including rappers and such other wastes and filled bottles with it converting into a 'Green Brick'. Coming Saturday I will put 20 green bricks in the collection centre and will get Rs 100 as pocket money. It's interesting."

The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation is planning to have more collection centres and has already roped in a few corporates to fund the project from their CSR support initiatives.