Govt to pilot deposit refund scheme with glass bottles: CM

Panaji: Chief minister Pramod Sawant said that the deposit refund scheme (DRS), which targets a 100% recovery rate for plastic, glass, and metal containers, must commence as a pilot project with glass bottles. Sawant said the excise industry is ready to support it with liquor bottle collection.

“The Goa Waste Management Corporation spends more than Rs 600 crore annually on garbage management. We need to start talking about DRS so that we can create awareness about it,” the CM said.

He said the scheme will not be rolled out without taking all stakeholders and legislators into confidence, and govt has not yet notified the date of implementation.

Sawant’s statement came minutes before GFP President Vijai Sardesai walked into the well of the House in protest when he was not allowed to continue with his discussion on DRS.

“The system will be implemented through the existing garbage collection network at the panchayat and municipal levels. For this purpose, presentations will be made in panchayats across Goa to explain the scheme before its implementation,” he said.

DRS is a scheme where a refundable deposit secured on a product shall be refunded on return of the product at the collection point to a redeemer. It aligns consumer behaviour, producer responsibility, and govt oversight to drive packaging recovery, reduce litter, and improve recycling outcomes.