PUNE: Did you know that there are two rooms full of waste and discarded papers in the SPPU?
This ‘raddi’ (scrap) will soon start bringing in money for the students associated with the ‘Earn and Learn Scheme’ of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU). The waste paper will be shredded and used for packaging, making bags, handmade paper and notebooks - generating revenue from the waste.
The varsity has acquired a shredding machine which will be soon available on campus. Dean of Students Welfare Department, Prabhakar Desai informed that the university was mulling having its own shredding machine. “We have centralised most of the ‘raddi’ on campus now. Almost two rooms are filled with waste and discarded papers in the university. We have identified the machine and it will be ordered now. Within two-three days we are expecting the machine to be delivered here,” said Desai.
The shredding machine is likely to be inaugurated on March 29, said the dean. “Also many papers get wasted during the examination period, so we have asked the examination co-ordinators at every college to give their discarded papers here,” added Desai.
The students will be mainly making products like handmade paper, paper bags, notebooks etc out of the shredded papers according to the density of the papers. The varsity will also sell some of the shredded papers to the industry.
“The cost of these shredded papers is more than normal paper. So looking at the revenue generation opportunity, we will be producing some of the shredded papers and sell to the industry, while rest will be used by us,” said Desai.
NASHIK, AHMEDNAGAR TO DONATE WASTE
The SPPU Students Welfare Department has requested its centres in Ahmednagar and Nashik to collect waste papers and send them to the SPPU. All departments of SPPU have been told to keep their waste papers ready for donation. “We have told all the departments to not sell the ‘raddi’ anywhere, and instead give it to the Students Welfare Department for recycling,” said Dean of Students Welfare Department, Prabhakar Desai.
