Liquor in Plastic Bottles to Cost Rs 20 Extra from Today; Trial in 20 Shops Across 2 Districts
Thiruvananthapuram: An additional charge of Rs 20 will be levied on liquor sold in plastic bottles starting this Wednesday. This initiative is being implemented on a trial basis in 20 shops across Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur districts. A special label, prepared by C-DIT, will be affixed to these bottles. Customers will receive a separate receipt for the Rs 20 charge, which will be refunded upon returning the plastic bottle. Beverages Corporation CMD Haritha Attalluri stated that the label is mandatory for the return of the bottle.
In the initial phase, the Rs 20 will be charged separately. When the scheme is expanded statewide in January, it will be integrated into a single bill. Initially, only bottles sold at the respective shops will be accepted for return. A dedicated counter will be set up for this purpose. Even if multiple bottles are brought together, they will be accepted, and the money will be refunded; a payment receipt is not mandatory for this. Kudumbashree workers have been deployed at the shops to collect the bottles, which will then be handed over to Clean Kerala Company.
Approximately 2.7 million plastic bottles are sold monthly across these 20 shops. After assessing the practicalities and limitations of collecting these bottles, necessary modifications will be made, and the scheme will be extended to other shops. It is estimated that around 40 million plastic bottles will need to be collected each month once the scheme is fully operational.
The amount collected as a security deposit will be maintained in a separate account by the Beverages Corporation, accounted for as funds to be returned to customers. A plan is also underway to accept empty bottles based on the existing QR codes on them, which would eliminate the need for special labels on the bottles.
Furthermore, from October 1, carry bags will be available at liquor outlets. Bags priced at Rs 20 and Rs 15 will be available for purchase by customers. The practice of wrapping liquor in paper will be discontinued. These bags will not carry the Beverages Corporation’s label. The CMD also informed that steps are being taken to open more premium liquor outlets.