CMFRI sets up initiative to manage laboratory glass wastes

The CMFRI has set up a glass crushing unit that will manage the recycling of refuse glass bottles in laboratories use by pulverizing them into the sand-like shreds which could be used for construction works.

The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has come up with a new initiative for laboratory waste management this time. The CMFRI has set up a glass crushing unit that will manage the recycling of refuse glass bottles in laboratories use by pulverizing them into the sand-like shreds which could be used for construction works.

The unit, which was designed by Anoop Agustin of the Maintenance and Estate Cell of the CMFRI, was part of the Swachha Bharat programme of the institute. One litre glass bottle could be crushed into granules within two seconds at the unit which requires 6-unit electricity per hour operation. Besides laboratory glass bottles, all refuse glass materials including tube lights could be recycled in the same way using the facility.

CMFRI Director Dr A Gopalakrishnan, who inaugurated the functioning of the glass crushing unit, said laboratories could be kept environment-friendly through the proper management of recycling the glass bottles in the lab after the use. “A good amount of glass bottles is being used in the laboratory to keep chemicals, but those bottles are accumulated as non-gradable wastes in the lab or its premises after use. The glass crushing unit will be of great help to convert all these wastes into materials as further use in other purposes”, he said.

As part of its swachhata mission, CMFRI organised cleaning drives besides conducting various awareness programmes. The awareness programmes included human chain, painting exhibition and bike rally.

Chief Administrative Officer C Muralidharan, Dr Shyam S Salim, Dr EM Abdussamad, Dr VP Vipinkumar, A Padmanabhan and Joseph Mathew attended among others during the launch of the glass crushing unit.