Kozhikode: For Kozhikode South MLA Dr. M.K. Muneer, green is more than his party flag's colour. That explains why he adopted a 'Go Green' policy for his son's wedding reception, which was attended by nearly 13,000 people. The former minister used a unique Material Recovery Facility (MRF) centre where different types of waste get segregated. What's more, the reception held at Swapna Nagari had no disposable plates or glasses used.
The green protocol was implemented by Green Worms, an eco-solution firm with the technical support of Kerala Suchitwa Mission and Kudumbashree. Food was served on crockery items and bottles used to collect water were taken for recycling immediately after their use. "We had trained the catering staff to segregate food and non-food waste items and provided them with bins. The food waste was converted to organic manure while the plastic waste like spoons and water bottles were packed and taken to recycling units," said Green Worms CEO Jabir Karat.
"People normally spend a lot for marriage but waste management is often shrugged off," says Kerala Suchitwa Mission District Assistant Coordinator K.P Radhakrishnan, who gave technical guidance for the implementation of the protocol. “They pack everything and dump it somewhere. This attitude should go and this marriage is a perfect model for others to follow,” he adds.
Many guests have already expressed interested in the green protocol, P.A. Hamza who is Dr. M.K. Muneer's brother-in-law and Kerala Olympic Association secretary, told DC. “It was Dr. Muneer's idea to make the function eco-friendly and that's how we approached the Kudumbashree and Suchitwa Mission for assistance. We hope many more will adopt this practice,” he adds. Over four tonnes of waste were collected and recycled as part of the function.
