Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Mar 12: Pramod Sawant said the state government plans to begin the Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS) as a pilot project with glass bottles, aiming to achieve a 100 percent recovery rate for plastic, glass and metal containers.

Speaking in the Assembly, the chief minister said the excise industry has expressed readiness to support the initiative by facilitating the collection of liquor bottles.

“The Goa Waste Management Corporation spends more than Rs 600 crore annually on garbage management. We need to start discussing DRS to create awareness about the scheme,” Sawant said.

He clarified that the government has not yet notified the date for implementing the scheme and assured that it would be rolled out only after taking all stakeholders and legislators into confidence.

Sawant’s remarks came shortly before Vijai Sardesai walked into the well of the House in protest after he was not allowed to continue his discussion on the proposed scheme.

The chief minister said the system would be implemented through the existing garbage collection network at panchayat and municipal levels. Presentations explaining the scheme will be conducted in panchayats across the state before its rollout.

Under the Deposit Refund Scheme, consumers pay a refundable deposit when purchasing a product packaged in containers such as bottles or cans. The deposit is returned when the empty container is brought back to a designated collection point.

The scheme aims to improve recycling rates, reduce littering and ensure better recovery of packaging waste by aligning consumer behaviour, producer responsibility and government oversight.