By- Chingkhei Luwang
Imphal April 17,
Even though Itombi could live a comfortable life in a comfort zone doing white collar jobs or even open a hotel, he started a business against all odds with a conscious mind to protect and help reduced the harms done by plastic pollution by opening a recycling factory that recycled 2 to 3 tons of plastics waste every month.
Proprietor of SJ Plastic Agency Sadokpam Itombi (38 yrs) son of Sadokpam Gunikanta from Sagolband Sadokpam Gunikanta, a graduate in computer application inspired to opened up such factory by seeing the rag pickers collecting plastics at railway stations and took a firmed stand to open it to help reduced the plastic wastage in the state by recycling and making new plastic items through the recycled plastics.
Employing at least 40 people now through his firm helping unemployment issue in the state, SJ Plastic agency began operating since 2007 but was officially registered in 2009.
The firm made various types of plastic items ranging from flower pots to pipes and other furniture items which were made from the recycled plastics that were collected from various parts of Manipur. His items were even exported to Guwahati and also plan to market in the entire North East taking part in uplifting the economy of the state.
He gathered all the plastics from various places of the state and recycled but the plastics which can’t be recycled were sent to other states for further recycling.
Highlighting the difficulties, Itombi said that during the first years he had faced a lot of difficulties struggled a lot and also the lack of other factory which make plastic granules from the recycled plastic leads to a great problem in making the plastic items. He added that he was more of a one man army which started from rag picking, recycling to granules making and further making plastic items.
‘As plastic can’t be prohibited entirely and is now an impossible task, minimising and recycling the plastic is the only solution’, Itombi said. He also said that there seems to be politicising the banned of plastic products as no one questioned the packaged plastics in edible items which is more harmful.
He also said that a lot of work can be done in the state of Manipur which is a virgin state in terms of entrepreneurship and added that various entrepreneurs should come forward instead of following only white collar jobs.
He further said that at least 20 percent of the total plastic wastage of Manipur might be saving by his Plastic recycling factory since the past ten years.
He appealed to the people as well as the government to make the people aware to not litter the plastic and to help in recycling plastic and taking a bit of their part in lessening environmental damages done by plastic.
He finally concluded that people can bring plastics at his factory situated at Sagolband Sadokpam leikai in exchange with flower pots or other items which will be beneficial to both as well as the environment.
