Abstract

The aim of this project was to find a solution regarding waste management in rural areas of
Tamil Nadu. The issues that needed to be tackled are how to deal with the solid waste especially
plastic waste and building an infrastructure for dealing with the solid waste in rural areas of
Tamil Nadu. It was concluded that the final solution would be to install an agricultural island
from recyclable resources which can reduce the environmental impact of the areas.
EcoIsla Asia Technologies is a charity driven product that is based in Tamil Nadu, India, where
the main function is to help for the betterment of social, environmental and economy of the rural
communities in Tamil Nadu. An artificial island was made from recyclable resources that was
collected from the general waste of the rural communities.
The general waste would be sorted out into two categories which are recyclables and non-
recyclables. The plastic waste was mainly collected as essential components for the base of the
artificial island. Pontoon floats are made as the base of the island and plant blocks are
manufactured to plant crops to generate income for the local people.
1. Introduction
Tamil Nadu, which is also named as the land of Tamils, is a state that is located at the southern
part of India. The state mainly relies on agriculture tasks economically such as planting crops,
raising livestock and fish production. The state is also currently populated by a whopping
amount of 72 million people and growing rapidly. Although the state is developing towards
urbanization, 52% of the population still reside in rural areas.
Due to the lack of infrastructure and growing population, waste management has been an arising
problem. In rural areas, waste such as plastics, debris from constructions and electronics are
usually burned or dumped at the roadside and rivers as there are no other ways to get rid of the
waste as landfills are reserved for urban areas. Burning waste can cause major environmental and
health issues such as global warming and respiratory issues whereas debris of constructions can
cause physical injuries or even fatal accidents.
We have started a non-profit organization, EcoIsla Asia Technologies, to put an end to this life-
threatening issue. The organization has been planning to create a waste management
infrastructure through a waste collection system as well as a recycling program for recyclable
plastics. Aside from running this system, we also aim to give awareness to the people at Tamil
Nadu that waste can be recycled for their convenience of their daily tasks. We want to put our
best efforts in to protect our Earth and the health of the residents, as well as making Earth green
again.
2. Project Features
The main plan of our organization is to create a waste collection system for both land and water
to tackle the waste management issue at Tamil Nadu. We also came up with the idea to floating
agricultural island with using only recyclables from the waste collected. By doing this, we can
also improve the income of the residents there.

2.1 Steps of waste collection for land

Below are the steps for waste collection on land:
2.2 Steps of waste collection for water

Three passive litter traps with varying dimensions based on the width of installed locations will
be set up in rivers, drains and lakes around Tamil Nadu. This is to prevent the flowage of waste
into the sea to cause further pollution that can harm marine life. The litter trap is a basket-like
component and its sides are supported using high durability polyethylene pipes which is also
used to float on the surface of the water. The litter trap is held in place by using ground anchors
or supporting poles attached to a string on the polyethylene pipe. The waste is also prevented
from flowing underwater as a polyethylene skirt is used and attached to the ground. The litter
traps would be monitored and the waste collected is sent to the segregation site to be classified.
The litter trap production is purchased and outsourced from a company that specifically produce
the litter traps and engaged in doing research for 2 years in the United Kingdom. The company
developed, tested, and improved the litter traps to ensure its efficiency is maintained.
2.3 Organisation of the island

For this project, we plan to give farmers some space to plant their crops by creating this floating
agricultural island while also encouraging the habit of recycling. The agricultural island would
be 10m away from land. The island includes components such as agricultural plant blocks,
floating pontoons, safety handles and crop marking signs made of recyclable plastics from the
waste collected.
Pontoon floats, which contains high buoyancy and load capacity, are used as a base for the
bridge and platform of the island. Pontoon floats with smaller dimensions are placed on land to
act as stairs for people to get onto the bridge.
The island and the bridge will be held in place by Mooring system anchors underwater. Mooring
systems is where a steel wire rope is tied to the side of the pontoon floats and the steel wire rope
is connected to an anchor underwater. Plastic safety railings are also interlocked with the
pontoon floats to prevent accidents.
In order to avoid confusion for the owner of the crops, we also manufacture plastic signs that can
be interlocked onto the pontoon floats so that the crops can be marked by its owner.
2.4 Description of agricultural plant block

The plant blocks of the project will be in a cubic shape. The plant blocks each have dimensions
of 80 cm x 80 cm x 80 cm and weighs approximately around 600kg. The plant blocks consist of
lightweight plastics such as polystyrene, polyethylene and polypropylene. The plant blocks are
made so that the soil can be held in place and gives some growing space to the crops. The plants
would be planted 25 cm away from each other based on the thumb rule. These plant blocks will
be connected to the pontoon floats with plastic screws and nuts. Each of these materials have
their own features that are useful in the formation of the plant blocks.
 
The upper part of the plant block contains a layer of erosion control geotextile that is placed on
top of the plant block after it is filled with soil. These geotextiles are geosynthetics that are
mainly made from polypropylene or polyethylene. The geotextile prevents soil erosion by
absorbing and dissipating energy released by heavy rain. This can be done as the honeycomb
structure of the geotextile helps confine the soil to minimize movement and water loss. Besides
that, it is cost-efficient as it only costs around 184.46 Indian Rupees for 1 m2 of the geotextile.

Layers of side supports that are bolted together are used for the plant blocks. The inner surfaces
of the side supports are made by thin layers of foams made from expanded polystyrene that helps
provide stability to the soil as they are quite rigid, while also being heat and shock resistant.
Another layer of protection which is made of a combination of polyethylene and polypropylene
with fibers are also applied by coating it to the outer surface of the expanded polystyrene. This
makes the plant block even more durable as polyethylene provides better thermal insulation
whereas polypropylene is stiffer and are chemical resistant.
A mixture of polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene is moulded into the base for the plant
block. This is because complex structures of the plastics can offer more durability and rigidity.
Tube holes will also be drilled according to the shape of the pontoon floats at the base for the
purpose of drainage tubes for the plants. Some holes are also drilled so that the screws and nuts
can be attached between the plant blocks and pontoon floats.

2.5 Manufacturing of the plant blocks

The manufacturing process of the plant blocks is shown below;
2.6 Description of the pontoon float

The pontoon floats act as a buoyant for the entire platform and the bridge. Pontoons are often
used to make floating bridges as it offers rigidity on the water. It is made of high-density
polyethylene (HDPE) and has a load capacity of 715.5 kg per block. Each float has dimensions of
100 cm x 100 cm x 80cm. Textures are also moulded onto the surface of the floats so that it is
slip-resistant.
The pontoon floats are joined together by plastic screws and nuts that are connected to the holes
at the corners of the floats. The ‘screws’ of the floats would have 2 slots on its circular surface so
that safety handles can be joined with them.
The shape of the pontoon floats will be modified to form drainage tubes for the water used for
the plants in the plant blocks. The diameter of the tube holes would be 2cm, so that the buoyancy
of the float is not affected. It also prevents soil and fertilizers leaking through the tubes into the
lake.
3. Decision Analysis
Before choosing our final project, our group had suggested a number of initial ideas to tackle the
waste issue in Tamil Nadu. All the ideas are then compared at areas such as sustainability, cost
and safety of the project as shown below.

All the areas of the project are scored from 1 to 5, where 1 is really bad to 5 which is excellent.
In the end, we decided to go with the idea of the construction of the agricultural island with the
highest score of 22/30. The main reason it has a high score is because it can bring the most
additional advantages such as job opportunities, bonding relationships among farmers and
creating a greener environment in the state.
4.Implementations plan
4.1 Short term plans
Before running this project, we must have the agreement and trust of the people and government
in Tamil Nadu. To give information about the waste collection system and plan of the
agricultural island that we will be running to the people there, we will carry out a campaign
which would be held for a period of 3 months throughout the state, targeting especially the rural
areas in Tamil Nadu. Through the campaign, we will promote the great effects of recycling and
the agricultural island will bring to the state. We decide to send out a team from the organisation
to provide talks to the residents, placing advertisements in newspapers and posters around Tamil
Nadu while even creating some activities such as charity runs or games for the children that
encourages sorting out waste. We would also be open to ideas contributed from the people to
further improve our project.
The project that inspired us to come up with this idea is the floating park that is located in
Amsterdam (Recycled Island Foundation, no date) [2]. The purpose of the floating park is to
collect waste using litter traps in rivers and create a green environment by planting trees on the
plant blocks. It has the same concept as our plan but we decide to let farmers grow their crops
which would be more useful for the residents in Tamil Nadu. However, the overall cost of our
project could be costlier as the floating park in Rotterdam only covers waste management in
water.
After the campaign, we would start the waste collection system. We would send out waste
collection vehicles to collect waste from residential areas for the convenience of the residents.
We would also place four recycling bins in public areas that are specified into four types: paper,
aluminium/plastics, glass and general waste. For waste collection in water, three litter traps will
be purchased from factories beforehand which will cost around £28,000 each. Although it is
expensive, it is proven to be effective as shown in the floating park in Rotterdam.
For the segregation sites, we plan to initially build 5 sites around midpoints of cities and towns
around Tamil Nadu. According to Royal Edwards Williams, A. and S. Kumar (2016), it is
reported that 6404 tonnes of waste are produced by people in Tamil Nadu every day [1]. As a
result, we need more space to segregate the waste. The segregation site could also work as a
compositing site for the organic waste collected. The organic waste is buried in a trench
underground for decomposing into fertilizer and preventing pests such as mice and flies. The
fertilizer produced will then be provided to the farmers in Tamil Nadu for their crops for free.
For this project, we decided to build the first agricultural island at Ooty Lake. The platform of
the island would initially have an area of 320 m2, which we plan to further expand once we
gather more resources. It would take about five to six years to complete the initial project. This
process includes designing, retrieval of plastic waste, fundraising as well as possible
collaborations with non-profit organizations to help with the project. The plant blocks would be
manufactured in local factories to save costs.
Working opportunities are also open to the residents of Tamil Nadu for this project to reduce
unemployment in the state. Workforce will be paid a fair amount of salary every month and may
include bonuses based on performances of the team. Jobs offered include waste collection
workers, security guards and maintenance team. As for manufacturing factories, specifications
on the plastic plant blocks and litter traps will be provided so that there would be no flaws in the
design.

4.2 Resources required

The general materials that needed to manufacture this product is mainly from plastic waste.
There are three fundamental components in this charity driven program which are agricultural
plant blocks, pontoon floats and litter traps. The manufacturing of these products was done by
professional experts from Malaysia and Britain as a collaboration for the commonwealth country
program.
There will be chemical and mechanical engineers working together in the process of the project.
The mechanical engineers are responsible to design the 3D modelling of the agricultural island.
The chemical engineers are responsible to study the composition of the plant blocks to secure a
robust and stable durability of the plant blocks.
Members of the organization will teach and demonstrate the local factory workers on how to
manufacture and assemble the essential components of the project. After the deployment, the
products will be in charged by the local authority there. The resources required to manufacture is
all obtained from suppliers and waste collected with the system. The workers working hour is
roughly around 8 hours a day to operate the factory and the segregation site on daily basis. The
local business manager is hired to oversee the production of this charity-based organization from
managing the workers into the production of the blocks.
The chart below shows the overflow of the process from collecting the waste into manufacturing
it into components of the agricultural island.

4.3 Potential funding

Plans are made regarding the funding issue for the project. Short term and long term funding
ideas are worked on to make sure the project go successfully.
A few NGO (non- government organisation) are compatible to our project aim: National Solid
Waste Association of India (NSWAI), India Environmental Society (IES) and Green-O-Tech
India. Potential funding and partnership are enquired with these NGOs body to help succeed the
project with better implementation.
GEF (Global Environment Faculty) will be approached for fund to expand the project to other
rural areas in India when the project achieved good outcome in helping reduce plastic waste and
improving the living conditions of the people in Tamil Nadu.

4.4 Long term plans

4.4.1 Maintenance Plan of the Sites
To maintain this project operation, it would be advised to have an inspection on every
segregation sites at least 4 times per year for working safety and supervisors will be hired to
ensure that the employees in each divisions are doing their jobs properly, to ensure a smooth
operation. Also, to reduce any unexpected cost for maintenance, visual inspection of the island
should be done every month on every component and preventive maintenance should be done at-
least twice annually.
4.4.1.1 Equipment Maintenance
Equipment maintenance are done at-least 6 months (Preventive Maintenance) to minimise any
faulty equipment (Trucks, Waste sorting equipment etc) that could possibly interrupt the smooth
operation of the project. Heavy equipment like trucks used for transporting the finished product,
the raw materials (plastic grains) and the plastic wastes collected from each station should be
inspected visually every day before use for any fault (Burned beltings, wore tyres and also
radiator water level plus lubrication oil level). An internal inspection of each truck should be
done every two months to avoid any risks of a break down which increases cost to conduct
maintenance to the truck and time which will lead to suspension of the project.
4.4.2 Production of the floating agricultural island in the long term
Further production for the components of the agricultural island will most possibly be handled by
the initial company that we reach out to, depending on the situation or any complications that we
might meet in the coming period of the project. The collection and classifications of the waste
will be still conducted by us, with the processing of the waste be done by the local waste
processing company.
4.4.3 Future Management of the Project
The overall project should be handled by the local industrial party and also the local
environmental based NGOs (Non-Government Organisations) through charity with the
maintenance and operations when the initial target of improving the living environment of the
citizens of Tamil Nadu is achieved. The job of the party in charge would be to oversee the
collection, processing and also the productions of the components for the floating agricultural
island (which would mainly be conducted by the industrial party), with all the funds for
employment for the project be from charity. This would mean that the operation could be done
without interfering the local NGO and party’s funds for their own operation and projects.

4.5 Risk and safety

4.5.1 Overview
Health and safety of the employees involved in this project is top priority because it is the
workers that completes this project. With healthy workers, the work flow of this project will run
smoothly. Hence, maintaining the reputation of the company. Considering that this project
requires no burning, nor would the employees have to deal with dangerous chemicals other than
unwanted plastics, the work environment will not be too dangerous. However, better safe than
sorry, counter measures will be taken for predicted risks.
The table below shows the risks of the project along with its counter measures:
4.5.2 Safety features
To avoid from dangerous scenarios and unforeseen risks, everyone involved in this project will be given
trainings and information such as safety drills. The platforms will have railings to prevent from falling
into the waters, especially children. Safety floats will be available when needed. Security guards will also
watch over the island to prevent theft of crops.
5.Design Analysis
5.1 Sustainability
Sustainability of the whole project and the agricultural island are the main concerns to the
implementation of our plans. The project plans are to reduce waste for a long term in Tamil Nadu
without causing harm to the environment. Moreover, it is also to help improve the living
conditions of the people in Tamil Nadu in social and economic point of views. Sustainability
based on environment, social and economic must be taken into serious consideration.
1. Environment
The main raw materials to construct the plant blocks of the agricultural island are
recycled plastics, which are polypropylene, polyethylene and polystyrene. These plastics are
tough material. and will not break easily hence it does not need to be replaced frequently.
Polypropylene, polyethylene and polystyrene are all thermoplastic which become liquid at their
respective melting points without significant degradation. Therefore, damaged or old plant
blocks can be easily injection moulded and then recycled and reuse to form other materials. It
will reduce the energy needed to burn the unwanted plastics by the people in Tamil Nadu and
reduce the release of greenhouse gases such as SO 2 and NO2 to the environment. As for the
floating pontoons, it can just be replaced as they are easily assembled with plastic screws and
nuts just between the floats. Moreover, with the creation of segregation site and recycle centre,
there will be reduce of open air burning by people in Tamil Nadu which subsequently reduces
the release of toxic gases such as dioxin and furan which are dangerous to the health and
environment. Furthermore, by recycling a ton of plastic it saves up to 16.3 barrels of oil and 3m 3
of landfills (Kinhal), as plastics are non-biodegradable waste. The land can then be use for more
useful and environment activities. As the usage of plastic is high in Tamil Nadu, hence raw
material can be obtained domestically, it is highly sustainable in the requirement of raw materials
to produce the agriculture island without causing pollution to the environment.

2. Social
On the social point of view, the agricultural island is built on a lake in Tamil Nadu, which
are easily accessed. It provides more agriculture lands for the villagers nearby to work as
farmers. Subsequently, it creates work opportunities for the villagers when workers are needed to
build the components of the island. The components are made of 100% recycled materials
without combustion which would not cause any health problem to the locals at Tamil Nadu.
Therefore, the living conditions and quality of air in Tamil Nadu will be improved. Hence, with
several recycling campaigns held out in Tamil Nadu and positive impacts to the people from the
agriculture island, the younger generation will be instilled with the knowledge of recycling, thus
continuing the project to a larger scale.
 3. Economic
As the agriculture island is built with 100% recycled material, the cost of maintaining the
island for a long run will be very low. With the segregation centre separating the general waste,
food waste and animal dungs can be send to the biomass industry which in turn provide organic
fertilisers for the crops on the agriculture islands in Tamil Nadu.
5.2 Work ethics
The motive of kickstarting this project is to help change the lifestyle of the people of Tamil Nadu
and to educate them about recycling plastic wastes. Hence, EcoIsla symbolizes the following:

To ensure work ethics are regulated, there are a few legalizations of the country that must be
followed, so that the project does not threaten the lifestyle of people in Tamil Nadu (see
Appendix).
5.3 Cost

The total number of staffs employed from the local people of Tamil Nadu will be around 135
workers which consists of 100 waste collectors, 20 truck drivers, 10 general workers and 5
security guards, which would cost about 561,555 Indian Rupees per month. The amount of
trucks deployed would be 20 trucks and the components used would be 350 pontoon floats, 200
plant blocks, 100 safety railings and 3 floating litter traps. The components of the project would
total up to an estimated amount of 12,843,045.70 Indian Rupees, excluding the cost for diesel
and truck maintenance which varies. The money that is needed to pay the workers are funded by
the local non-government organization in Tamil Nadu.
6.Improvements
The improvements for this EcoIsla Asia Technologies can be made by expanding the area of the
initial floating island and creating more floating islands around Tamil Nadu. This improvement
can increase the profit of the local people in terms of entrepreneurship perspective as the
agriculture industry will develop because of more crops planted on the floating islands in large
scale production. In the long run, this design may also be implemented in other countries that are
facing the same issue as well.
The design can be further improved by adding more features. For example, hydroponics can be
applied for the crops. Hydroponics is a process that uses solution with organic nutrients such as
nitrogen and potassium mixed with water to plant crops instead of using soil. Hydroponics can
also allow the plants to grow faster as well as saving water as enclosed reservoir systems are
used for hydroponics.
Aquaculture can also be implemented in the project. This includes the process of breeding fish,
which is one of the main sources of protein around the globe. This can be done by growing the
fish in sinking or floating cages. Catfish and trout are usually breed in freshwater fish farms. This
is also one of the ways that the income of the farmers and the economy of the country can be
improved.