PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) has claimed to have started taking concrete steps to address the growing problem of plastic waste in the city, especially the increasing number of discarded water bottles in public spaces. Informing this, the civic body officials said that under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, they have started installing bottle crusher machines at key locations across Dehradun in collaboration with private institutions.
The officials further said that one bottle crusher unit has already been installed at MCD premises and has been operational for about one and a half months. During this period, around 107 kilogrammes of plastic waste have been processed through the crushing of discarded bottles. On average, nearly 100 plastic bottles are being crushed daily at the facility, contributing to improved plastic waste segregation and recycling at source.
The crushed plastic is being supplied to factories for reuse in manufacturing construction materials such as plastic-mixed bricks and is also being used in road construction projects, supporting sustainable waste management practices in the city, officials added.
The officials, however, acknowledged that a single unit is insufficient to handle the increasing volume of plastic waste generated in Dehradun. Keeping this in view, the corporation is planning to install another bottle crusher machine at Gandhi Park, one of the city’s busiest public spaces with high daily footfall.
The proposed installation at Gandhi Park will allow residents and visitors to dispose of plastic bottles on the spot, helping reduce littering in public areas and encouraging responsible disposal habits, MCD officials said.
They said that the initiative is part of its broader strategy to strengthen solid waste management infrastructure and promote recycling-based solutions in urban areas. They added that if implemented effectively at multiple locations, the bottle crusher model could significantly reduce plastic waste load.
