Written by Intern Rency Gomes || Team Allycaral
Panaji, January 2026 — As Goa’s waste burden continues to rise, a new state government–led Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS) is set to reshape how value is extracted from discarded materials. The reform is expected to have its most significant impact on informal waste collectors, who have sustained Goa’s recycling economy for decades while receiving only a fraction of the returns it generates.
Goa produces approximately 766 tonnes of municipal solid waste every day—nearly 2.8 lakh tonnes annually. While urban waste collection has achieved near-universal coverage, gaps remain in treatment and recycling. Operating within this gap are informal waste collectors, who recover recyclables from homes, streets and dumping sites, often in unsafe conditions and for minimal compensation that rarely reflects their labour.
Currently, PET bottles fetch between ₹15 and ₹25 per kilogram or around 50 bottles—often translating to less than 50 paise per bottle. Glass bottles earn roughly ₹2 per unit, while multi-layered plastic packaging, commonly used for snacks and biscuits, has little to no resale value and is frequently left uncollected. National estimates indicate that such packaging constitutes 30 to 40 per cent of plastic waste, much of which ultimately ends up in landfills.
India’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework was designed to address these disparities by shifting the cost of waste recovery to producers. In practice, however, EPR credits are largely traded between companies and recyclers, with limited financial benefit reaching those who physically collect the waste.
According to Dr Anthony de Sa, chairperson of the committee overseeing the implementation of the Goa DRS project under the Department of Environment and Climate Change, the scheme seeks to correct this long-standing imbalance. “DRS rewards responsible behaviour towards waste management, creates better income opportunities for the informal sector and addresses the peculiar waste management challenges of a tourism-driven region like Goa,” he said.
The Goa Deposit Refund System, notified in 2024, introduces a refundable deposit on select packaged products. The deposit is returned directly to whoever brings the item to an authorised collection point. Under the scheme, the standard refundable deposit is ₹5 per package, while alcohol sold in glass bottles carries a ₹10 deposit. Items priced between ₹5 and ₹20 attract a ₹2 deposit. Refunds are processed instantly.
For informal waste collectors, the shift could be transformative. Under the new model, collecting 50 PET bottles could earn up to ₹250—more than ten times current earnings. Glass bottles could fetch ₹10 per unit, a fivefold increase. For the first time, multi-layered plastic packaging could generate income, with collectors earning ₹200 for every 100 packets returned.
By directly linking waste recovery to financial return and enabling formal registration of collectors, the DRS aims not only to improve recycling rates but also to bring dignity, visibility and fair compensation to those at the foundation of Goa’s waste management ecosystem.
