Dakshina Kannada Milk Producers’ Union Ltd (DKMUL) President Raviraj Hegde, extending support to Centre’s ‘Swacchata Hi Seva’ campaign, said the union would ensure the scientific disposal of milk, curd, butter milk plastic sachets and CPP (cast polypropylene) bottles of the flavoured milk by collecting directly them from customers through dealers.
“DKMUL is the first among the 14 unions under KMF in the State to launch such an initiative to recycle the plastic sachets and the CPP bottles.”
He was speaking to mediapersons here, on Friday.
Hegde said the plastics used by the DKMUL was above 50 microns in thickness and has permission to use it. As part of a Corporate Social Responsibility, the union will initiate the drive to collect the sachets and the CPP bottle for recycling from October 2 onwards.
There are 1,650 dealers in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts and 104 milk distribution vehicles. The customers can hand over the cleaned sachets to the dealers, who in turn will hand it over to the milk supplying vehicles that will transport it to the DKMUL office.
The DKMUL has authorised M/s Nature Friendly Recycle Industries and Dry Waste Handling as a nodal agency to recycle the collected sachets and bottles.
Hegde said already dealers and vehicle drivers had been trained in handling the collected plastic sachets and bottles. The recycled plastics are used in preparing various byproducts, including for road works.
“We want to ensure that milk sachets do not find their way into the landfill and contribute to the pollution,” Hegde said and added that
1.5 tonnes to 2 tonnes of plastic sachets and CPP bottles are used daily by the DKMUL.
The DKMUL gets Rs 8 to Rs 9 per kg of sachets supplied to the nodal agency. The proceeds from the sale of plastics will be distributed equally among the dealers and milk transporting vehicle owners. The collected plastic sachets and bottles will be disposed daily by the DKMUL, he said.
“As many as 430 half litre milk/curd sachets are needed in order to weigh above one kg. DKMUL procures 4.50 lakh litres of milk and sells 3.30 lakh litres of milk. In addition, 56,000 litres of curd are sold daily,” Hegde added.