Over 70% of biodegradable waste generated in Ernakulam is being processed in compost plants, according to official estimates.
The district generates around 780 tonnes of biodegradable waste a day. Of this, around 570 tonnes are being processed at compost plants, according to official figures as of May 31, 2025 available with the Kerala State Pollution Control Board. Ernakulam has a total capacity to process 885 tonnes of biodegradable waste daily.
The total capacity of the existing compost plants is 571.42 tonnes a day. The data showed that the total capacity of bio methanation plants for treatment of biodegradable waste in the district was 72.48 tonnes per day.
Around 80% of the total biodegradable waste generated in the State is managed at source, while the remaining 20% is handled by community-level facilities operated by local bodies.
A range of medium-capacity decentralised composting facilities, including aerobic compost units, organic waste converters, windrow plants, and biomethanation facilities, have been set up to process biodegradable waste. Additionally, centralised facilities like compressed biogas plants are being planned and implemented to manage waste more economically. The construction of a compressed biogas plant in Ernakulam had already begun.
The district has the capacity to process 242 tonnes of poultry waste daily through the existing seven rendering plants. These facilities use waste as an input material to create valuable products as new outputs. The aim of resource recovery is to reduce the amount of waste generated and optimise values created from waste. Meat rendering plants process animal by-product materials for the production of tallow, grease, and high-protein meat and bone meal.
Published – July 03, 2025 01:31 am IST
