Pune Residents Can Have Garbage Collected From Their Doorsteps - Get Compost in Return
Thiagarajan Arunachalam
Aparna Menon
Converting wet waste into compost in Pune city has just become a little easier. MobiTrash, a mobile organic waste collection and treatment solution, is helping keep the city clean and green.
MobiTrash Recycle Ventures Pvt. Ltd. is a start-up service venture incubated by the promoters of Excel Industries Limited. MobiTrash can convert wet waste and green waste into compost, right at the point where segregated waste is collected.
First, the service providers visit the premises of the prospective subscribers to conduct demonstrations. The people on the premises of the residential complex or office complex have to be shown how to segregate waste properly. Once this is done, and once the service has been subscribed to, a mobile van visits the premises every day to collect the segregated waste.
The mobile van is fitted with machines that take care of the initial process of composting; this can be witnessed by the interested customers.
Thanks to the support of the Municipal Commissioner of Pune and his entire department, the service provided by MobiTrash has attracted many apartment complexes, educational institutions, corporate offices, commercial complexes, restaurants, wedding halls, and factories in the city, over the past one year.
One of the first housing societies to subscribe to this mobile service was the Pinnac Kanchanganga Housing Society. As soon as he heard about this mobile van, Mr Chougule, a resident of the complex, became interested in it.
He says,”I convinced the residents of all the flats in the complex to subscribe to the service. I then chased the MobiTrash service providers to begin service on our premises. Since then, the approximately 120 kgs of wet waste generated on a daily basis in the housing society is converted into raw compost right in front of our eyes. It is a blessing that we don’t have to deal with smelly garbage piled up anywhere in the vicinity.”
Once neighbouring societies started to see the mobile van arrive at thePinnac Kanchanganga Housing Society on a regular basis, they too were inspired to learn more about MobiTrash and subscribe to the service.
“The people of Pune are always open to good causes and offer support to keep the city clean. Earlier, when trash used to pile up in various street corners and stink, it used to be harrowing to move around in the city. Having this mobile van visit every day is very helpful. People are learning to segregate their waste, which is really important, and with this more improvement will come about in this city,” says Vijayalakshmi Sheriyar from the Marz-o-rin Bakery.
K K John, who is in charge of maintaining the gardens at IT Park, says, “The compost is being used by us for the past five months now. Since it is generated from household waste and garden waste it seems to be very good for our plants. We do not believe chemicals are used to cure the raw compost and feel it is done naturally. There is a marked difference in the quality of the compost.”