Honoring Industry Trendsetters of CII in Tamil Nadu

Name of the Applicant: Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai

Title of the Activity : Reuse of Single Use Plastics

Category of the Activity: Social Impact & Sustainability

Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Dept. Of Chemistry, TCE EIACP PC-RP

 Introduction
 Plastics have become poor man’s friend
 Nearly 50% of the plastic consumed is used for packing
 Plastic waste is a major concern for our environment.
 Plastic is a non-biodegradable material that takes hundreds of years to decompose
 Plastic pollution is one of the most significant environmental problems affecting
our planet today

Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Dept. Of Chemistry, TCE EIACP PC-RP

 Plastic Waste Management Centre @ TCE
• A major work on the plastic waste is being carried out in the college by Dr. R. Vasudevan and his team from Dept. of. Chemistry, Thiagarajar College of
Engineering.
• The presence of waste plastics in the SW also contaminates the organic waste available in the SW, which is used for manure conversion. Thus, plastic waste
had become a major cause for the environmental pollution.
• Utilization of waste plastics for flexible pavement is the project and a new technology has been developed and this technology is simple and can be
adopted easily with less cost.
• This method is patented in 2006 by Dr. R. Vasudevan. This technology was also coded by the Indian Road Congress in 2013(IRC-SP-98-2013). Using this
technology more than 200, 000 Kms of road has been laid in India. The durability of the road is not less than 10 years.

Add
Shredding Mixing Road
aggregate bitumen
laying
plastics up to
70 microns are transferred to hot bitumen
shredded to a paddling chamber (160°C) is mixed the polymer-tar
size of 2mm to for mixing of waste with the plastic road can then be
4mm plastics coated aggregate laid
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Cleaning Heating Add plastics
shredded waste
Ready
using a the stone is the mix is now
rotating heated to plastics are sprayed ready for road
machine 170°C in the over the hot aggregate, laying
to remove dust heating zone of where it gets melted
the road laying and coated over the
machine aggregate

Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Dept. Of Chemistry, TCE EIACP PC-RP

 Best Practise – Plastic Tar road
• Using this technology more than 200, 000 Kms of road has been laid in India.
The NRIDA (NRRDA) is the major user of this practise by laying 20 % of their
rural roads using this technology.
• The NHAI is the other major follower of this technology. Recently at Tamil Nadu
they have laid a single stretch of 75kms of plastic road in the NH 32.
• In India almost 20 states had implemented this technology. The government is
using the PMGSY scheme fund for laying plastic roads on rural road sector.
• This technology was also coded by the Indian Road Congress in 2013(IRC-SP-98-
2019).
• The performances of the roads laid were also studied under the guidance of
Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi.

Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Dept. Of Chemistry, TCE ENVIS RP

 Scalability and Economic Viability of the Project

• The scalability of this practise is very effective and was done in all parts of the Nation without any difficulties

in adopting the technology. The practise can also be followed without any loss in the sustainability and

effectiveness of the project. Moreover, the practise is already followed in Pan India level and is well proved

practise.

• The present practise is economically feasible in all aspects starting from, reduction in the use of raw

materials, zero maintenance of the roads, reduced used of bitumen and so on. The practise is an in-situ

process and doesn’t require and industrial participation. The laying of plastic road can be practised with the

pre-existent facilities available for road laying.

Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Dept. Of Chemistry, TCE EIACP PC-RP
 Social Impact
There is an enormous chances of community participation in implementing this practise.
a. The use of waste plastics in the present project directly creates a demand for waste plastics in the market.
Already in many states the self-help group and some other NGOs are being involved in the process of
collection waste plastics. They collect and shred the waste plastics and sell it to the concerned authorities
for Rs 20 to 25 per Kg. This becomes a good employment.
b. The practise also created entrepreneurs in the formation Plastic Waste Management Facilities. Where the
society helps in the collection of waste plastics.

c. The project has also created a better garbage culture among the society in disposing the plastic waste.

d. The project also created awareness among the public about the importance of waste plastics and its
utilization in road laying.

Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Dept. Of Chemistry, TCE EIACP PC-RP

 Development of a Centre from MOEF&CC
TCE EIACP PC RP- Environment Information, Awareness, Capacitive Building and Livelihood Program.
Program Centre and Resource Partner

Theme : EIACP Program Centre, Resource Partner on Plastic Waste Management

Hosted by : Department of Chemistry, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai.

Sponsored by : Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Govt of India

Year of Establishment: TCE EIACP RP was established during the year 2018.

TCE EIACP RP Resource Partner at Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai was setup as a RP in the year
2018, under the ENVIS- CEP (Capacity Enhancement Programme), through the Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change to act as store house for compilation, processing, analysis and dissemination of data/information
pertaining to latest research in the field of Plastic Waste Management.

Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Dept. Of Chemistry, TCE EIACP PC-RP

 Polymer Research and Road Research Laboratory

• Under this centre two major laboratory named “Polymer Research Lab “and “Road Research lab” was
developed to study the use of plastic and waste plastics in a sustainable manner. The following are the
infrastructure developed under this laboratory. The instruments available under this lab support the
centre in carrying out research and development activities related to Plastic Waste Management.
S. Name of The Name of the Instrument Make Amount in
N Lab Rs
o

1. Polymer 1. Differential Scanning Shimadzu 10,00,000

Research Lab Calorimeter
2. Fourier Transformed
Infra-Red Shimadzu 12,00,000
Spectroscopy
3. Brook Field Visco
Brook Field 5,50,000
Meter
4. Optical Microscope Lawarance and 6,50,000
Mayo

Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Dept. Of Chemistry, TCE EIACP PC-RP

 Sustainable Activities conducted by TCE EIACP PC RP from the year
2018 to 2023

Name of Program Centre (EIACP Hub-PC and PC-RP): TCE EIACP PC-RP

Parameter Total Number

Awareness and Outreach Activities:
Number of Environmental Days Celebrated 76
Number of competitions organized (both offline/online) 7
Number of Participants in the events/competitions (including 27160
school/college/ institutes/ government departments/ NGOs etc)

Representation of EIACP Centres in various thematic events 85

organized by other Ministries/State Departments

Organizing/Participation of Mega/Regional/Mass Awareness 106

events

Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Dept. Of Chemistry, TCE EIACP PC-RP

 GSDP – Green Skill Development Program- A skill development program under this activity

• In line with the Skill India Mission of Hon’ble Prime Minister, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF& CC)
utilising the vast network and expertise of EIACP Hubs/RPs, has taken up an initiative for skill development in the environment and
forest sector to enable India's youth to get gainful employment and/or self-employment, called the Green Skill Development
Programme (GSDP).

• The programme endeavours to develop green skilled workers having technical knowledge and commitment to sustainable
development. The EIACP centre at Department of Chemistry, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai, has been conducting a
National Level Green Skill Development on Course Name: “Waste Management Solid Waste, Bio Medical Waste, Plastic Waste, E
Waste, Construction and Demolition Waste”

• The GSDP course on waste management imparts a sound knowledge on waste management techniques to the participants. The
course also speaks about the importance of waste management in the future. The course on Waste Management has created an
awareness among the younger generation about Waste and its Management, it has created a mindset to develop methods for
effective Waste Management and a hope the younger generations in terms of entrepreneurship. The course also falls under the
category of NSQF level 6, approved by the National Skill Development Authority.

Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Dept. Of Chemistry, TCE EIACP PC-RP

 Recognition
The Degree of Doctor of Letters
Honoris Causa (D.Litt.).

EIACP - Environmental Information, Awareness,

Capacity Building and Livelihood Programme

The Hon. Fellow

From IPI India

Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Dept. Of Chemistry, TCE EIACP PC-RP

Awards – Padma Shri 2018 Awards
Sample 3 – Tech Icon 2015

Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Dept. Of Chemistry, TCE EIACP PC-RP

 Recognition
Sample 3

Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Dept. Of Chemistry, TCE EIACP PC-RP

 Conclusion

• The project on the reuse of waste plastics in the construction of flexible pavements
is a well established technology and followed widely both by the private and public
sectors
• The project had created a bigger social impact in terms of the following parameter
a. Reuse of SUP
b. Clean Environment without plastic pollution
C. Involvement of society
d. Economically Viable
e. Environmentally Sustainable.
f. Government supportive

Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Dept. Of Chemistry, TCE EIACP PC-RP