MC project on recycling floral, coconut waste in limbo

The municipal corporation’s plan to recycle floral and coconut waste seems to have fizzled out for want of space. The Ludhiana civic body had planned to recycle floral and coconut waste and convert it into incense sticks and ropes, respectively. It was planned to set up a small plant near the Jamalpur dump site, but the plan could not materialise.

A lot of floral waste gets collected from the city, especially during the wedding and festival season. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, the MC had planned to set up a plant for recycling floral waste. If the MC fails to initiate the process of setting up the plant, the grant will lapse and will have to be returned back. It had received Rs 10 lakh for the same under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

A senior official of the MC said that they were yet to find a suitable place for setting up a shed for the machinery required for processing the floral and coconut waste. Heads of various religious places like temples and gurdwaras will be contacted to know the amount of floral waste collected and marriage palace owners will also be asked about the generation of floral waste at their respective places, he said and added that the focus was to convert waste to wealth.

Religious places themselves can take up the initiative and set up composting pits and recycle flower waste, which will also create employment opportunities and promote biodegradable materials and also help reduce floral waste, added an official from the Horticulture Department.

Sukriti, a city-based environmentalist, said that there were a number of ways through which floral waste could be processed. “One can recycle flowers into organic compost, soaps, candles and incense sticks. City residents should become conscious and avoid offering flowers at religious places and using too much flowers at party/wedding venues should also be checked,” she added.