Beverage Companies Start Buyback On The Plastic Bottles In Maharashtra

In accordance with the plastic ban in Maharashtra and the new regulations, beverage companies like Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Bisleri have begun printing the buyback value on the bottles reports the Economic Times. The empty bottles can be given back and for that the consumer will get a certain amount of money.

Price For Plastic Bottles

The report further says that though the companies had the option of keeping the buyback value flexible, several of them have priced it at Rs. 15 for one kilogram of PET bottles and Rs. 5 a kilogram on shrink wraps. But not everyone’s convinced with this change. “There is already a system in place to recycle plastic. What we need to do is make it more efficient and profitable for the stakeholders (such as rag pickers), instead of introducing more processes in the ecosystem of recycling further,” Ramesh Chauhan chairman at Bisleri told the Economic Times.

A spokesperson of PepsiCo told the publication that the buyback value of Rs. 15 per kilogram on PET bottles is being mentioned on them. “We are working with Gem Enviro to set up reverse vending machines, collection points and collection centres for PET waste bottles at several locations across the state to enable the buyback programme,” the person told the Economic Times.

Lack Of Clarity

The issue of plastic pollution cannot be resolved in singular steps and requires holistic solutions,” Dr Vijay Habbu, faculty and expert in sustainability and technical advisor to plastic associations told the publications. “Unless the the role of plastics in medical, food, pharmaceutical and related industries is understood, the messaging about pollution will always lead to unreasonable action. In taking easy steps of imposing wholesale bans, India loses opportunities to set global examples of managing plastic waste.”

The report also says that the buyback initiative might spread to other states as well like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Those in the industry say that there is little clarity on the return of the bottles. “While the cost of printing is nominal, it is restrictive because we can’t supply bottles made in Maharashtra to any other state, and neither can we bring and sell bottles from outside the state,” a beverage industry official told the Economic Times.