Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar today said hazardous waste generated by pharmaceutical and medical devices industry and plastic waste posed major environmental problems.
Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar today said hazardous waste generated by pharmaceutical and medical devices industry and plastic waste posed major environmental problems.
Speaking at the 4th "3R International Scientific Conference on Material Cycles and Waste Management", he also suggested that "Reduce, Recycle and Reuse (3Rs) should be a part of school curriculum at the primary and secondary levels.
"The biggest concern today is of the environmental problems posed by plastic waste and food packaging. Most of hazardous waste is generated by pharmaceutical and medical devices industries," he was quoted as saying in a statement.
Kumar said 12 million tonnes of plastic can be reused and recycled.
He also suggested "Reduce, Recycle and Reuse (3Rs) should be a part of the curriculum in the syllabus of schools at primary and secondary levels".
Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan said India has been a key player in promoting efficient waste management system in the world.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has played a key role at the international platform to develop the sense of waste management and material cycles. Now we need a directional change and positive approach for making a bigger impact," he said.
The conference focuses on promoting techniques of the waste management and spread the concept of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (3R) principles. Delegates from Japan, Korea and Germany are participating in the three-day conference, organised by the CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP).
Kumar also pointed out that about 4,500 urban areas in the country generate 55 million tonnes of waste every year out of which only one million tonnes is converted into compost which ideally should be 5.5 million tonnes annually.
For the first time, he said, the Modi government was giving subsidy for making compost from waste and a 50 kg bag of compost would cost only Rs 75 for farmers.
He announced that his Ministry was ready to ink a MoU with the CSIR for setting up a task force for promoting 3Rs.
He appealed to use "2R (Reuse, Recycle)" material instead of "waste material".
Kumar said that a Guwahati-based unit was treating two tonnes of plastic waste daily and the plan was to set up 100 such units across the country to give a push to 3R projects.
"As plastics are everywhere from automobiles to hospitals and it is not biodegradable, it is a big challenge to contain this menace," he said.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu spoke about the challenges to deal with the waste to use as next value chain. He emphasised upon the control and reuse of toxic and industrial waste.
"Agriculture waste should not be burnt. If they are disposed into the soil, it becomes natural manure. CSIR is focusing on such crucial issues which are a welcome step. This is the time to link culture with science. We should term the agri-waste as a key resource for waste management," he said.
(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
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