MRP+ refundable deposit from April 1: Goa’s big clean-up gamble

Goa to roll out statewide deposit refund scheme from April 1 to cut plastic, glass and metal waste amid mounting pollution from tourism and urban growth

Panaji: In recent years, visitors and locals in Goa have recoiled at the sight of its once-pristine beaches and countryside choking with mounds of plastic, glass bottles and metal shards that have increasingly come to underline the perils of unchecked urban expansion and booming tourism.

Under the scheme, consumers will pay an additional deposit of ₹2 to ₹10 over the MRP, which will be refunded when empty packets or bottles are returned at designated deposit machines. (Representative photo)

Now, the state government is attempting to reverse course. Come April 1, Goa is set to roll out a statewide deposit refund scheme (DRS) to encourage people to return and recycle plastic, glass and metal