Tiruchi Corporation has intensified efforts to effectively dispose of non-recyclable plastic waste, aiming to reduce the burden on the city’s landfills.

The city generates about 450 to 470 tonnes of waste every day, of which nearly 70% is segregated at the source. With the implementation of the four-bin system under the new Solid Waste Management Rules, the Corporation expects to improve waste segregation.

Waste collected from households and commercial establishments is transported to Micro Compost Centres (MCCs) and Resource Recovery Centres (RRCs), where it is segregated into different categories. Non-recyclable single-use plastics, including snack packets, carry bags, food wrappers, plastic covers, disposable cutlery, containers, and bottles, are separated and sent to Dalmia Cement factory for use as refuse-derived fuel (RDF) in cement kilns.

According to official sources, around 4,000 tonnes of plastics have been diverted to cement factories for use as fuel since July 2024. A garbage truck transports eight to 10 tonnes of plastic waste from the RRCs in all five zones of the city. So far, about 454 trips have been completed.

To strengthen waste collection, the Corporation has instructed sanitation workers to intensify door-to-door collection with a renewed focus on the four-bin segregation system. In addition, garbage collection vehicles have been fitted with GPS tracking devices, enabling officials to monitor vehicle movement and improve the efficiency of waste collection and disposal operations.

A senior Corporation official said continuous source segregation of waste had substantially reduced the amount of plastic waste being dumped at the Ariyamangalam dump yard. Once the Automated Material Recovery Facility (AMRF) being established at the dump yard becomes operational, segregation is expected to improve, he added.

Published - August 02, 2026 07:02 pm IST