A thermocol waste recycling unit in Alawalpur panchayat of Patna district’s Khusrupur block is generating products worth Rs 17 lakh a month, according to Bihar rural development minister Shrawan Kumar. The unit converts discarded thermocol into granules that are sold back into the market, linking waste reduction with a small-scale recycling business.
The facility was established by garbage trader Deepak Kumar under the Lohia Swachchha Bihar Abhiyan and the Centre’s Swachchha Bharat Mission (rural). The minister said the project was intended to remove thermocol waste from rural areas, where unmanaged solid waste can create environmental problems.
According to the details shared by the minister, the unit produces between 40 and 50 tonnes of recycled thermocol granules every month. The granules are sold at Rs 35,000 per tonne. At that production and selling rate, monthly sales can range from about Rs 14 lakh to Rs 17.5 lakh, broadly corresponding with the reported monthly product value of Rs 17 lakh.
The unit sources thermocol waste through 11 collectors. Eight collectors are based in Patna, while two operate in Ranchi and one in Varanasi. The sourcing network shows that the facility is not dependent only on waste generated in the immediate panchayat, but receives discarded material through collection channels spread across multiple cities.
The material is processed into recycled thermocol granules before being marketed again. Thermocol, commonly used in packaging and disposable products, is difficult to manage when it enters mixed waste streams because it is bulky and can remain visible across drains, open plots and roadside dumping points. The reported recycling process offers a way to recover value from material that would otherwise require collection and disposal.
The facility directly employs 12 people, according to the minister. Its operation also depends on the network of waste collectors who gather and supply thermocol for processing. In that sense, the project combines a local recycling unit with a wider chain of waste collection, sorting and resale.
The initiative has been presented within Bihar’s rural sanitation framework through the Lohia Swachchha Bihar Abhiyan and the rural component of the Swachh Bharat Mission. The minister said the unit was intended both to clear rural areas of thermocol solid waste and to generate profits by converting the discarded material into a marketable product. Further details on the unit’s operating costs, processing capacity beyond thermocol and the amount of waste diverted from disposal were not provided in the statement.
