Giving Plastic a Second Life: From Hazard to Resource

Instead of letting plastic waste reach landfills, we recycled it into reusable materials, turning a hazard into a resource for the circular economy.

In my earlier article, I shared how our biomedical waste facility in Thane grew from humble beginnings into a recognised, multi-district service network. But the journey was about more than just machines and compliance. Alongside building a state-of-the-art treatment centre, we transformed the surrounding debris-strewn land into a thriving green space—what would become Ankur Theme Park. This initiative turned barren soil into a living classroom, where students, citizens, and environmental enthusiasts could learn directly from nature, explore innovative waste management techniques, and witness sustainable practices in action.

Our commitment to sustainability extended from greening the land to managing hospital waste responsibly, particularly medical-grade plastics that could be recycled rather than discarded.”

Recognising their potential, what began as a simple need to manage waste responsibly evolved into a full-fledged journey: setting up recycling units, upgrading facilities, and navigating regulatory and operational challenges over the years.

Various plastic items or devices used in hospitals during treatment are made from high-quality, medical-grade plastics, including polycarbonates, polypropylene, and polyethylene. Generally, these are collected and transported in red-coloured bags to the common facility and sent to the landfills after proper treatment. This results in the loss of precious resources. This plastic can be recycled and reused following a circular economy path.

When we realised the importance of this plastic, we started our own plastic waste recycling unit in Murbad MIDC after obtaining all the necessary permissions and authorisations from the concerned authorities. Our team used to disinfect plastic waste received in red bags from the hospitals in an autoclave. Such disinfected plastic was then shredded into pieces in a mechanical shredder.

These pieces were then stored in gunny bags and transported to our own recycling unit. For operating this plant, we had employed a few people from the Murbad tribal area. After the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, came into force, operators were allowed to collect biomedical waste from hospitals within a 75 km radius. New facilities were subsequently established in Vasai-Virar and other areas.

By 2013, we wanted to replace our incinerator, as it had almost reached the end of its life. We wanted to buy a new machine with modern technology. As per the rules, we now needed a bigger place for the installation of new machines. We applied to the concerned authorities in Thane Municipal Corporation for a suitable plot and to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board for authorisation to install new machines, particularly the incinerator.

As per the law, the Thane Municipal Corporation was responsible for providing suitable land. We were allotted a plot of about three acres in size in Daighar, near the ShilPhata area. All paperwork was done. We got the land in our possession and started planning for erecting the required infrastructure on that plot. We hired an architect and started working on it. However, one fine day, suddenly, we were asked to surrender the plot, as the said plot is to be allotted to a company for their highly ambitious waste-to-energy project. We were stunned and unsure how to proceed.

Then the 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic struck humanity all over the world. The number of patients admitted to hospitals due to coronavirus infection started growing. In that proportion, the volume of infectious waste also started growing. This waste comprised of personal protective robes, gowns, masks, and other disposables, which were extremely hazardous.

Our workload increased manifold, as this was in addition to our regular workload. All our workers did an amazing job working almost around the clock to make sure that the waste was properly treated. To our surprise, none of our workers caught the coronavirus infection.

By the time the pandemic was over, we received a notice from MPCB asking us to stop the work in this facility because we were not taking any measures to upgrade our systems. We pleaded that unless TMC provides us with suitable land as required by the law, we cannot upgrade our system.

MPCB and TMC went on tossing the ball in each other’s courts, and finally, in 2022, with heavy hearts, we were compelled to close down our facility.

(The author is an environmentalist. Views personal.)