I watched a video of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant narrating the story of a person who collects waste and has reportedly earned Rs 22 crore by selling valuable scrap. It almost seems as though the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department have already informed the Chief Minister about this. For years, we have been educating people to segregate their waste so they can sell recyclable material and earn some money, as scrap has value.
This is exactly what every consumer expects after paying a deposit on purchased items. Under the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), consumers are required to return eligible containers to a DRS machine to claim a refund of their own deposit. However, the DRS agency will appoint someone to collect these returned items, sell them as valuable scrap, and earn substantial profits. Consumers fear that these profits will benefit the agency and those promoting the DRS, while the people who paid the deposit receive only their refund.Instead of sharing part of the value of the recyclable material with consumers, this system appears to deprive them of a fair share of the proceeds. Manufacturers should be responsible for creating an efficient collection system that ensures consumers receive the full benefit of the deposit they have paid. Consumers should also have the opportunity to collect and sell recyclable materials themselves if they choose, while ensuring that the scrap is recycled and disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner.
Gregory E D’souza, Siolim
