KARACHI: The Network of Organisations Working with People with Disabilities (NOWPDP) has in partnership with Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited launched a recycling facility in Karachi to facilitate waste management and promote environmental sustainability.
Run entirely by persons with disabilities, the facility employs 11 individuals, including three women.
Working on the principles of reduce, reuse, and revive, the newly-launched facility creates an ecosystem to enable an end-to-end waste management solution.
A network of drivers with waste collection vehicles have been created as well.
They collect waste from litter hotspots around the city. The waste is brought back to the recycling facility, where it is sorted and solid waste, including plastic, is broken down through a crushing process which is scheduled once a week, in view of environmental safety. They are then remodelled and revived into reusable items.
Omair Ahmed, CEO, NOWPDP, said, “While we have been working for the social and economic empowerment of persons with disabilities for years, we realised we also have a role to play for environmental sustainability. Bringing both of our objectives together, we have initiated this upcycle campaign. The recycling facility will not only clean our city and conserve its environment, but it will also empower our persons with disabilities and will help to change the mindset surrounding their true abilities.”
Aside from trainings on waste management and recycling, the initiative deploys vehicles that collect waste from different parts of the city. These vehicles have been adapted to be inclusive of persons with disabilities. Once waste is collected, it is sorted at the facility, cleaned and then crushed into pellets. The pet bottles and crushed pellets, which are a high-demand material, are sold directly to the market and also upcycled into items of everyday use. The textile division also promotes reusable cloth bags that are designed by the team and stitched by the trained individuals. Once fully trained, the individuals can earn an average monthly income of Rs20,000 to Rs30,000.
Speaking at the launch of the facility, Sadia Dada, director communications of PMPKL, said, “The challenge of littering is not new to our country nor the efforts to combat it. Lack of awareness and infrastructure for disposal are key drivers abetting this bad habit. We are very excited about this collaboration with NOWPDP, which is not just about playing our part in anti-littering, but also to be working with such aspirational people to achieve this goal as well. We learnt so much in the process. Most importantly, how minor changes in the way we work can create room for each and every individual of society to be a part of it.”
Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2020
