Goa Beaches Fight Glass Bottle Menace with DRS

Goa's tourism industry is pinning hopes on a deposit refund scheme (DRS) to combat the pervasive problem of discarded liquor bottles creating hazardous conditions on its beaches. Glass shards pose a significant risk to tourists and residents, with many unmonitored coastal areas accumulating waste. The former president of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa noted litter as a factor in declining foreign tourist arrivals.

The proposed DRS involves a small, refundable deposit on packaged goods, encouraging consumers to return bottles for recycling or reuse. This mechanism is particularly supported by restaurants and take-away establishments that generate substantial packaging waste. Business owners see it as a crucial step towards more effective waste management and a cleaner environment.

However, the Waste Management Association Goa has expressed reservations, arguing the DRS could complicate existing waste collection processes. They advocate for a ban on single-use plastics as a prerequisite to implementing the deposit scheme. The government had initially targeted April 1 for the DRS rollout, a plan now under scrutiny amid these differing perspectives on its implementation and impact.