OUTER PLANET 46 PETplanet Insider Vol. 25 No. 0/24 www.petpla.net OUTER PLANET Plastic waste traps for rivers Several million tonnes of plastic enter oceans yearly, with around 1,600 rivers responsible for most of it. To prevent it from spreading uncontrollably in the water and turning into microplastics, the start-up Plastic Fischer collects plastic waste from rivers in India and Indonesia - with the support of the Cologne-based plastics specialist igus, among others. “TrashBooms” - floating barriers that prevent plastic from flowing downstream (Source: Plastic Fischer; igus) Plastic Fischer has developed its own “TrashBooms” for this purpose. These floating barriers prevent plastic from flowing downstream - a technically simple and cost-effective solution made from locally available materials that enables quick repair and high scalability. Every day, the waste traps are emptied and the plastic is taken to the sorting plant, where it is dried, separated and further processed. “We sell all recyclable materials to local recyclers,” explains Karsten Hirsch, CEO and Co-founder of Plastic Fischer. “As most high-value plastics such as PET bottles are already collected by the informal waste sector, only 5% of our non-organic material can actually be recycled. All non-recyclable materials such as plastic bags Plastic Fischer has collected and processed over 1,600t of plastic waste since the initiative started in 2021. Plastics specialist igus has been one of the supporters of the initiative since 2022. Thanks to the financial support from the Cologne-based company, 33,611t of plastic were collected from rivers between November 2022 and August 2024, especially in Kanpur in northern India. The city is the main centre of commercial and industrial activities in the state of Uttar Pradesh and located directly on the Ganges river, one of the dirtiest rivers in the world. Non-profit company Plastic Fischer employs 15 full-time employees here to manage the daily tasks. They have already collected more than 315t of plastic from the drains that flow into the Ganges. are burned and used as an alternative energy source in cement plants, replacing coal.” www.igus.de www.plasticfi scher.com INDIA 4-6 December 2024 Mumbai, India NEW IN 2024 Register for your FREE entry badge today! www.prseventindia.com The launch edition of the Plastics Recycling Show India (PRS India) is the first event in India specifically dedicated to plastics recycling. Organised by In association with: ASIA 13–14 November 2024 Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Supported by:
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