Plastic Waste-Free River Project Removes 1,000 Tonnes of Waste in Kerala

The milestone was announced at an event attended by Kerala ministers, public representatives and officials associated with the project.

According to the organisers, Allianz Services India and Allianz Technology India, the Global Capability Centers (GCCs) of Allianz Group in India, the recovered plastic is equivalent to nearly 50 million plastic bottles, highlighting the scale of pollution intercepted before it reached the ocean.

The project uses floating barriers, known as TrashBooms, to trap plastic waste in rivers and urban waterways. At present, 15 such systems are operating at major locations, including the Karamana and Killi rivers, Amayizhanchan thodu, Thampanoor thodu, Ulloor thodu and several canals across Thiruvananthapuram.

Collected plastic is transported to material recovery facilities, where recyclable waste is processed for reuse while non-recyclable plastic is sent for co-processing in cement plants.

The initiative is implemented in partnership with environmental organisations Thanal Trust, Sustera Foundation and Germany-based Plastic Fischer, while receiving support from the Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram and the Kerala government's Local Self Government and Water Resources departments.

Speaking at the event, Industries Minister P. K. Kunhalikutty said environmental sustainability must remain an integral part of Kerala's industrial growth. Water Resources Minister Mons Joseph described the initiative as an example of sustained river conservation that other organisations could emulate.

In 2025, Allianz Services India and Allianz Technology India launched another programme in Puthenthope, Kadinamkulam and Veli, in association with NGO partners Thanal Trust and Sustera Foundation, encouraging responsible waste disposal and reducing plastic leakage into waterways.

According to project data, around nine million tonnes of plastic enter the world's oceans every year, while nearly 79 per cent of debris found along major water bodies in Thiruvananthapuram is plastic. The Karamana and Killi rivers have also recorded high levels of microplastic pollution.

Officials said the model is now being replicated in cities including Mangaluru, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kanpur and Varanasi, demonstrating how local interventions can help reduce plastic pollution and improve urban water quality.