Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa has installed 100 Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) across the state as preparations gather pace for the launch of the Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS) on September 1. The initiative aims to create a statewide collection network for used glass bottles, plastic bottles and aluminium cans by offering consumers an instant refund on returned containers.
The latest RVMs have been installed at Candolim Bandh, Sakhali Fort, Anjuna Village Panchayat, Morjim Village Panchayat, Vishal Mega Mart at Chicalim, Agonda and Cola village panchayats, near Mangeshi Temple at Veling Priol, Bogmalo Beach and Salvador-do-Mundo Village Panchayat. Of the 100 machines installed, 69 are in North Goa and 31 in South Goa.
The scheme has also secured the backing of 150 Panchayats and eight Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), which have issued No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for the installation of RVMs and collection operations within their jurisdictions.
Chairman of the Goa DRS Authority, Dr Anthony de Sa, said the pace of implementation reflects close coordination between the Authority, local self-government bodies and industry. He said Goa is on course to become one of the first states in the country to operationalise a deposit refund system at this scale.
Local panchayat representatives have welcomed the initiative, saying it will help reduce littering while encouraging recycling through financial incentives. They urged residents to make use of the RVMs and support the state’s cleanliness drive.
The DRS has also onboarded nearly 1,000 hotels, restaurants and major alcoholic beverage companies ahead of the rollout. Public demonstrations, stakeholder engagement programmes and awareness campaigns are continuing across Goa to familiarise residents, businesses and tourists with the new system before its launch.
