Wednesday, 09 August 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
In order to ensure maximum collection and recycling of single-use plastic waste, the Municipal Corporation of Haridwar (MCH) will start the QR code based deposit refund system (DRS) in the city. The corporation is also planning to open 14 designated centres where the single-use plastic products can be returned after the usage, said the municipal commissioner Dayanand Saraswati. Under this project, a QR code will be pasted on each single-use plastic product like plastic bottles for which the customer will have to pay only Re one extra.
For instance, a soft drink bottle worth Rs 20 will be sold for Rs 21 with a QR code and when the customer returns the empty bottle in designated centres, he/she will get their Re one back, said Saraswati. He said that the corporation has floated tenders to select an agency which will ensure the proper execution of the plan at the ground level. He said that the selected agency will interact with traders that sell products like bottled cold drinks and juices in wholesale markets. They will provide the QR codes to be pasted on the products to ensure locals receive these products via retailers. Informing further about the plan, the sanitation inspector Shrikant Chaudhary said that such plans are being operated successfully in some towns of Rudraprayag. The customers have to pay an additional Rs 10 for a bottle there, possibly due to the restricted budget and smaller area but the administration refunds the amount when bottles are returned to respective centres.
However, Haridwar will not have to face any such issue as it is a big city and there is a continuous footfall of tourists and pilgrims, said Chaudhary. He said that with the introduction of the DRS plan, the corporation’s aim is to collect and recycle max waste of single-use plastic products which are used at a great scale but most of them end up in dumpsters. He said that the MCH has started the process to commence the DRS plan and all associated works are expected to finish in two months.
