Learn from Manipur’s father-son duo to recycle plastic to save environment and earn some profit

In Manipur, a father and his son is spearheading a product to deal with plastic menace.

Imphal, May 10: Plastic is pretty controversial. Isn't it? On the one hand, we can't live without using things made of plastic and on the other hand plastic has become the major cause of environmental pollution. Then what do we do? Ban plastic? The ban on plastic products like bags had been implemented by the government authorities in almost all parts of the country, but it miserably failed.

In spite of ban on plastic bags, they are readily available in the market, except for in a few places. Call it the callousness of authorities or citizens' apathy, plastic has become a "useful peril".

In such a scenario, our dilemma has been resolved to a great extent by the likes of Sadokpam Gunakanta and Sadokpam Itombi Singh--the father-son duo from Manipur's capital city, Imphal.

The two started SJ Plastic Industries--a plastic recycling unit--in 2007 in Sagolband Sadokpam Leikai in Manipur's Imphal district. Since then tonnes of plastic waste had been recycled in the unit and turned into other useful products like pipes, tubs and flower pots.

"Plastics are recyclable. We need to make conscious efforts to recycle such waste so they can be used for other purposes, instead of allowing them to pollute our water bodies," Gunakanta told ANI. Along with recycling plastic, the duo has succeeded in providing employment to around 40 people in their unit.

Gunakanta and Singh spent around Rs 1.5 lakh to start their enterprise, and today it is making around Rs 1.2 crore annually. Their educational background helped them to deal with plastic menace in a scientific manner. While Singh is a graduate of computer application, his father has got his engineering degree from the Government Polytechnic, Manipur.

The "green warriors" of Manipur came up with the plan to start a unique project which has now become a talking point to make their state a better place to live in. Below you can learn more about the recycling unit: