Plastic Reuse and Biological Waste Management

Residents of Anandwan travel to nearby villages to collect plastic bags and other re-usable trash. These are washed, sanitized and sorted. Thereafter they are shredded to cotton like consistency to form what is known as ‘Plastic Cotton’ to fill into mattresses and pillows. The shredded plastic is also mixed in cement, sand and mud to prepare stabilized mud bricks. This method imparts adequate compressive strength to bricks without firing, thus eliminating the use of fuel.

Such reinforced bricks are used to construct Nubian vaults to form house roofs, thereby economizing greatly on the use of cement and steel. These bricks and the Nubian vault technology have also been deployed in the construction of biogas plants which are extensively used throughout Anandwan.

Anandwan also has two full-fledged hospitals that generate medical waste. Anandwan recycles this waste and reduces the impact on the environment. Saline bottles become Christmas trees, with little ornaments hanging from them. Intricate works of art are created from empty sachets. These sachets with high-gloss and four color printing, lend themselves to colorful decorative pieces. Elsewhere in the world these sachets only add to the rubbish in the landfills. But at Anandwan we use them as raw materials for art!