A load of plastic waste collected from Vellingiri hills being shifted for processing.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

More than 10 tonnes of plastic waste, mainly packaged drinking water bottles and polythene bags, have been removed from Vellingiri hills as the four-month pilgrimage season for this year ended on May 31.

According to the Forest Department, 10,905 kg of plastic waste collected at the downhill at Poondi have been shifted by Coimbatore-based Recompose Recycling Private Limited for recycling and making of value-added products.

The company will recycle drinking bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Multi-layered plastics (MLP) such as biscuit covers and chocolate wrappers that are hard to be recycled will be turned into value-added products such as roofing sheets, covering sheets and paver blocks.

Officials with the Department said the pilgrims were permitted to carry drinking water bottles to the hills after paying a refundable fee of ₹20 a bottle at the entry point on the premises of Vellingiri Andavar temple at Poondi. The bottles were collected from pilgrims when they returned after completing the 6.5 km-long trek (one side).

“Though majority of the pilgrims brought back the bottles and collected the refund, littering of bottles and other plastic waste has been noticed along the trekking route. Special drives will be conducted to collect those wastes and bring them to the downhill,” said an official.