Thiruvananthapuram Corporation to distribute 25,000 kitchen dustbins for better waste management | Thiruvananthapuram News

Thiruvananthapuram: With the aim of improving household standards waste sortingthe municipality has launched a new call for tenders to distribute 25,000 bio-composters kitchen trash cans to residents. These bins, designed for wet and biodegradable waste, will be provided to households in different areas of the city that lack them or require replacement of damaged units. The tender, which was opened last Thursday, is currently being reviewed by a technical committee, with five companies participating in the tender process.
The initiative is part of the city’s broader efforts to combat improper waste disposal, a growing concern exacerbated by unlicensed waste collectors operating outside the official system. The company noted that many households fail to properly sort waste, mixing biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials. and often turn to illegal collectors. These collectors frequently dump their waste in public spaces or into canals, thus creating significant health risks.
“Haritha Karma Sena workers are responsible for collecting dry waste from households, while wet or food waste has to be managed at the source,” said S Jahangir, secretary of the corporation. “Unfortunately, some households hand over their waste to illegal collectors, who dispose of it irresponsibly. To solve this problem, we launched a tender to distribute bio-composter kitchen trash cans, allowing residents to properly manage their waste at home. We expect distribution to begin by December, once the tender process is completed,” he added.
Bio-composting bins will be provided to households at a subsidized rate, with priority given to those who do not have a bin and those whose bins are damaged. As part of its fight against unauthorized waste disposal, the corporation collected Rs 41 lakh in fines from illegal collectors between July and October this year. This tender is the final stage of the ongoing decentralized waste management program in Thiruvananthapuram.
From 2016 to 2021, the company distributed 46,492 biocomposter kitchen bins in two phases. In the first phase, 15,833 bins were distributed, followed by 30,659 in the second phase, at a cost of Rs 1,800 per bin, for a total outlay of Rs 5.96 crore. However, despite the investment, only 31.2% of the bins distributed are currently used, of which 70% remain unused.
The company has faced criticism for its waste management programs, particularly following a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) last year, which highlighted serious deficiencies in the system. The report found that private agencies collecting non-biodegradable waste were also collecting biodegradable waste, suggesting that many households were not using biocomposting bins as intended.
The CAG report also highlighted that unauthorized waste collectors are a key factor contributing to improper waste disposal. In response, the company planned an awareness campaign in all 100 neighborhoods to educate residents on the proper use of kitchen trash cans. Additionally, households with damaged bins can request a replacement from the company’s health department.