Minister Eshwar Khandre Proposes Buyback System for Empty pet Bottles

Bengaluru:: To curb the indiscriminate disposal of plastic water bottles, Minister for Forest, Environment, and Ecology, Eshwar B. Khandre, has directed the formulation of a rule mandating water bottle vendors to buy back empty bottles at a minimum price.

The minister has instructed the Additional Chief Secretary of the Environment Department to frame regulations making it compulsory for companies selling bottled water to take responsibility for the scientific disposal of plastic bottles. Khandre believes that implementing a buyback system for empty bottles at a minimum price could effectively reduce the menace of plastic waste.

Plastic bottles, which do not decompose in soil, dissolve in water, or burn without releasing harmful toxins into the atmosphere, pose a serious threat not only to the environment but also to human and animal health. Although the central government has banned the manufacture, storage, sale, and use of single-use plastics, and the state government has enforced related regulations, the widespread sale of such products continues to harm the environment.

The minister emphasised the need to first control the unchecked disposal of mineral water bottles, which are often found littering roadsides. Under the proposed rule, retailers selling bottled water would be required to offer a minimum price or discount on a new bottle in exchange for returning an empty one. The collected bottles would then be returned to the respective companies for scientific disposal.

As per the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, manufacturers are accountable for managing the environmental impact of their products even after they reach the consumers. Minister Khandre expressed confidence that if companies take responsibility for buying back and disposing of empty bottles, it could significantly reduce the accumulation of plastic waste.