The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation is planning to use pre-used or refurbished shipping containers as temporary Material Collection Facilities (MCFs) for storage of non biodegradable waste. In the first phase, such temporary collection facilities will be set up at eleven locations in the city. As of now, the containers are proposed to be located at Anamugham, Estate, Nalanchira, Medical College, Pangode, Melamcode, Chempazhanthy, Mudavanmugal, Valiyasala, Muttathara and Vanchiyur wards.
The ward-based Haritha Karma Senas which have been collecting non biodegradable waste from houses in the city usually gathers the litter at particular spots when there is lack of space inside the MCFs. However, this has led to the public wrongly identifying such spots as waste dumping points, leading to more unsegregated waste ending up there. This scenario prompted the civic body to look for other options.
The refurbished shipping containers with their exterior walls branded as a waste collection centre will be locked when not in use to prevent waste dumping by others. These will serve as collection points for agencies which have been contracted to transport waste to recycling centres. The Clean Kerala Company collects plastic waste from areas under the Corporation, while other agencies are contracted to transport various kinds of segregated waste to recycling centres.
At times, the collection and transportation of waste from collection points gets delayed, leading to such points turning into waste dumps over a period of time. The Corporation seeks to prevent such a situation with the use of closed containers.
