This story is from June 6, 2023

Goa: Soon, give single-use cans, bottles to deposit stations, get a refund

To control the rising waste in Goa caused by disposable plastic and beer bottles and aluminum cans used by locals and tourists, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) is mulling an idea implemented at the pilgrimage site of Kedarnath, Uttarakhand. The board is already in talks with the company Recykal, which has introduced the programme at Kedarnath.
Goa: Soon, give single-use cans, bottles to deposit stations, get a refund
If anyone discards a bottle, the person who picks it up can scan the QR code and recover the deposit, said VP of Recycle Ekta Narain
PANAJI: To control the rising waste in Goa caused by disposable plastic and beer bottles and aluminum cans used by locals and tourists, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) is mulling an idea implemented at the pilgrimage site of Kedarnath, Uttarakhand. The board is already in talks with the company Recykal, which has introduced the programme at Kedarnath.
Once implemented in Goa, anyone purchasing a product in a disposable bottle will be charged an extra 'deposit' amount.
The consumer will be able to recover the amount after scanning a unique QR code when depositing the bottle at one of the predesignated collection centres.
The GSPCB has held a meeting with stakeholders and floated the idea to them. "This system has already been implemented in more than 40 countries in the world. We have implemented it in Kedarnath and collected more than two lakh disposable bottles and cans. And now, the government wants to extend it to four other locations in Uttarakhand.
Before depositing a bottle, scan QR code to get refund
Under the system, you have to pay an additional Rs 10 for the bottle or can during purchase,” said co-founder and vice-president, Recykal, Ekta Narain.
On Monday, Narain held a presentation of the system before environment minister Nilesh Cabral.
“There is a unique QR on the bottle or can. Once you finish drinking, you can deposit it at one of the collection centres. You scan the QR code before depositing the bottle and you can recover the deposit amount. If anyone still discards the bottle, any other person who picks it up is able to scan the QR code and recover the deposit,” said Narain.

GSPCB chairperson Mahesh Patil said that there will be a tie-up with Indian Oil as well as retailers across Goa. The bottles can be deposited at Indian Oil petrol pumps or retailers. Depositing stations will also be available at different locations for consumers to access.
Patil said that Cabral, who is the environment as well as PWD minister, has agreed to offer PWD premises at various locations too to be used as collection centres.
“We provide the technology, which enables the QR code to be put up on the bottles. Most products already have QR codes at present, we enable this QR code to be built inside the existing QR code,” said Narain. “We are evolving the system through discussion. Within two to three months it will be implemented,” said Patil.
Narain said the system will be implemented at no cost to the government.
“We are currently finalising the mode of implementation,” she said.
For those depositing bottles in bulk, there will be manual collection centres as well, she said.
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About the Author
Gauree Malkarnekar

Gauree Malkarnekar, senior correspondent at The Times of India, Goa, maintains a hawk's eye on Goa's expansive education sector. And when she is not chasing schools, headmasters and teachers, she turns her focus to crime. Her entry into journalism was purely accidental: a trained commercial artist, she landed her first job as a graphic designer with a weekly, but less than a fortnight later set aside the brush and picked up the pen. Ever since she has not complained.

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