DRS rollout in Goa set for April 1, chairman rejects industry pushback

Abdul Wahab Khan

Panaji

Reaffirming that the April 1 rollout of Goa’s Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS) will proceed as scheduled, chairman of the DRS Administrator Committee, Anthony de Sa dismissed industry objections from manufacturers, distributors, and waste operators.

In an interview with ‘The Navhind Times’, de Sa said the opposition is rooted in “fear of change rather than facts,” emphasising that the scheme addresses long-standing failures in managing low-value plastic waste and ensures accountability across the supply chain.

“While manufacturers face certain challenges, indefinite postponement is not an option,” he said, adding that staggered implementation over three months is being considered for certain product categories.

Industry representatives had demanded 6-12 months for Goa-specific packaging adjustments, but de Sa suggested temporary QR code stickers as an interim solution, calling additional costs “minuscule” and “exaggerated.” Responding to concerns that consumers could end up paying twice—through deposits and higher waste management fees—he said, “Nobody is paying twice. This is a refundable cycle. Return packaging and get your money back; litter it, and someone else redeems it.”

De Sa said that deposits will be collected at the point of sale, held in an escrow account, and refunded at designated collection centres. While no formal assessment has been made on household expense impact, he said DRS would strengthen compliance with the existing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, allowing authorities to track the collection of PET bottles and
issue EPR certificates at Rs 10 per tonne.

Addressing concerns over ragpickers, de Sa said the focus is on low-value plastics, and high-value items are tagged only to support their collection. “Today a ragpicker gets 20 or 25 paise per item. Under DRS, that same item will fetch several rupees,” he said, emphasising that the scheme integrates, not eliminates, informal waste workers.

De Sa said 350 automated collection centres will be operational initially, expanding to 500 within two years, supported by centralised sorting facilities.