Page 41 - Plastics News - April 2026
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ENVIRONMENT NEWS
tor and positioning waste pickers as authorised cess to return infrastructure—such as bins and
logistics partners. machines—so consumers can conveniently dis-
pose of recyclables anywhere. Alongside the
Ambitious return targets
DRS rollout, strong enforcement against littering
The scheme has set clear recovery milestones. and sustained public awareness will be critical. If
D’Sa says the mandated minimum return rate for implemented with adequate coverage, flexibility,
the System Operator is 50% by year two, rising and incentives, the scheme can meaningfully re-
to 90% by year four. He believes actual recovery duce the volume of waste reaching landfills.”
could exceed targets even in the first year.
Similar concerns were also echoed by the Goa
He encourages other states to replicate the Waste Management Association, which believes
model, noting that wider adoption will simplify that the scheme will address less than 5% of the
supply chain management for manufacturers. roadside garbage. They suggest the inclusion of
He also advises states to prioritise three areas: sanitary waste in the scheme to resolve the is-
robust stakeholder consultation and transition sue of roadside garbage.
timelines; digital integration of DRS data with na-
tional and state CPCB portals to prevent double “The price of plastic bottles could increase un-
counting of EPR credits; and adoption of a hy- der the deposit refund system, as consumers
brid return network combining manual centres would pay an additional amount upfront with the
and RVMs. Such a model, D'sa says, ensures expectation of receiving it back. While a refund
infrastructure readiness and consumer conveni- mechanism may be in place, the need to visit
ence while enabling kirana stores and local scrap collection centres and claim the deposit could
dealers to become certified collection points be inconvenient for some consumers. It is also
even in rural or low-tech environments. not yet clear who would bear the cost of estab-
lishing and operating the required infrastructure.
Advances are underway, but challenges remain
Another aspect that merits attention is the po-
Commenting on the scheme, Manguirish Pai Rai- tential impact on livelihoods. At present, high-
kar, past president of the Goa Chamber of Com- value recyclable waste is largely collected by
merce, says: “The Deposit Refund Scheme being local waste pickers. If operations become more
introduced in Goa appears promising on paper centralised under the new system, it could affect
and can significantly improve waste collection if the informal sector, with an estimated 3,000 to
implemented properly. However, its success will 5,000 waste pickers potentially impacted,” says
depend on resolving practical challenges, espe- Clinton Vaz, the President of Goa Waste Man-
cially in a tourist-driven state where consumers agement Association and the founder of VRe-
may not return to the same point of purchase cycle.
to claim their deposit. For the system to work Source - https://www.wasterecyclingmag.com
effectively, Goa must ensure widespread ac-
April 2026 PLASTICS NEWS 43
