Four circular economy parks to come up in MH to recycle trash & waste
According to Material Recycling Association of India (MRAI) President Sanjay Mehta, the Maharashtra government wants to establish four circular economy parks totaling 2,000 acres with a common infrastructure, such as water effluent treatment plans to recover scraps and waste materials.
Before that, the State government will issue a ‘Circular Economy Park policy’ in the next few months. He stated that MRAI has been brought in as a knowledge partner to help design the policy.
The country’s first
The parks would most likely be built in Nagpur, Aurangabad, Ratnagiri, and Khopoli, which is 100 kilometres from Mumbai. According to Mehta, this will make Maharashtra the first state in the country to establish such parks.
‘These parks must be built at a significant cost. ‘Perhaps the State government will set up 30% of the mandatory common facilities required for users, and they will be used by all,’ said the head of MRAI, formerly known as the Metal Recycling Association of India.
Related Agri News | Recycled wastewater in Agri, Horti will be successful only with community awareness-Shekhawat
MRAI has approximately 1,200 members and employs over 25 lakh people in recyclable commodities such as ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plastic, paper, e-waste, tyre, rubber, textiles, glass, cars, building and demolition debris, and water.
Increase the number of jobs
The projected circular economy parks will aid economic development and attract additional investment to the state. ‘It will also assist to increase recycling rates. A study will be done to help keep track of trash, people who pick up trash, and people who recycle trash. Banks can make loans based on the data, and the government can adopt a package to help the underdeveloped, according to the MRAI president.
For more than a decade, the group has been doing research on the establishment of circular economy parks. ‘This is the biggest opportunity, and we are delighted that Maharashtra will seize it,’ he said.
The proposed policy will seek to establish Maharashtra as the preferred investment location for circular economy parks, with the goal of promoting indigenous and modern technology, developing world-class skilled labor, and assisting the micro, small, and medium recycling sectors.
The goal is to make these sectors world-class, while also creating an additional 4-5 million direct jobs, according to Mehta, who said that these parks will be located on the periphery of the proposed cities.
Global recycling collides
He stated that China has at least 5-6 circular economy parks, despite the fact that 245 such parks have been established around the world. One of the most important characteristics of recycling is that material obtained from scrap accounts for a significant portion of the production of metals such as steel, copper, aluminum, zinc, and plastic.
These challenges will be addressed at the MRAI’s three-day 10th International Indian Material Recycling Conference, which begins on February 2 in Kochi, Kerala.
“It will be the largest meeting of global recyclers,” with 2,000 people expected to attend, including 450 from outside the United States. ‘The event will bring together Indian and foreign recyclers under one roof to gain insights into technology, services, new ideas, and perspectives, among other things,’ Mehta said.
Related Agri News | Paper bags from agri wastes can solve pollution, environmental problems
The conclave will debate the necessity for a ‘Recycling Policy,’ and will encourage the Centre and policymakers to build a favourable ecosystem and combat climate change.
Import tariff reduction sought
In terms of MRAI’s expectations for the 2023-24 Budget, Mehta stated that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should cut the Customs charge on scrap metal imports. ‘Our neighboring countries are duty-free importers. ‘We only have a high Customs tariff on imports,’ he explained.
Scrap metal and other resources are used to make products in countries with which India has free trade agreements, such as Thailand and Indonesia. According to the MRAI president, the finished products are then duty-free imported into India.
Add Comment