Civic body launches platform to sell recyclable waste

G Prakash, Chennai Corporation Commissioner said that the Madras Waste Exchange is both a web portal and an Android application. The civic body’s waste repository in resource recovery centres and micro compost centres have been listed for buyers to buy recyclable waste from the Chennai Corporation. He also claimed that the Madras Waste Exchange platform is first of its kind in the country and the initiative would reduce the garbage going to landfills. “The platform is also open to the general public so that they can use the platform to sell their segregated waste online. Presently, residents have to visit Chennai Corporation offices or contact through WhatsApp to buy manure. With the new platform, residents can book the required amount of manure through online,” he added.

As the resource recovery centres and micro compost centres are geo-tagged in the online platform, the residents or traders could know the quantity of manure or other items stocked in such centres before making orders by clicking on them. The online platform and Android application have been developed under the Smart City Initiative in which most of the components have been developed by the volunteers and very few are paid components. Web portal link for the Madras Waste Exchange is www.madraswasteexchange.com. “We will update daily stock data in resource recovery centres and micro compost centres and the intent is to convert every house and waste processing facilities into potential selling centres. Residents can register in the portal and they can also update the quantity of recyclable waste in their possession. Traders, who want to buy them, will contact them. This will develop in a better business model over a period,” Prakash said.

Presently, the civic body maintains as many as 141 micro composting centres, 64 resource recovery centres and 110 material recovery facilities, where the garbage is being segregated and converted into usable products.