Thiruvanathapuram: More than one cement company has come forward, interested in taking inorganic waste to be used in cement production. However, before moving forward with any measure on EPR, the Corporation will be investing more time in awareness campaigns on EPR.
Green Army campaign in schools has been telling students about Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), something that their parents know little about. Thro-ugh fun activities and sessions, children are told that the responsibility of managing waste lies with the original producer. Such awareness campaigns are important for the smooth implementation later, say officials.
“It is important that there is no resistance when EPR is implemented. It is better not to hurry with the implementation. This is the reason why green protocol and EPR are being implemented in large events. People need to start believing that the responsibility of managing waste lies with the brand owners,” said an official.
In June when Green Army conducted a brand audit, which identified Milma as the highest waste producer in the city, the corporation had decided to write letters to various brands asking them to comply with EPR.
However, so far no mail was sent. While one reason, according to officials, is that they are focusing on awareness, another reason is that the state government has started taking some steps towards implementing EPR. “The state has asked local bodies to give a status report on what they do with their chemical waste. This is a step towards implementing EPR,” says an official.
Meanwhile, the wheels of one EPR initiative has started rolling. In the city, some supermarkets have expressed their willingness to be part of the initiative. Once it starts, people can give back waste to the respective supermarket, while doing their shopping.
