Cabinet approves Goa’s non-biodegradable waste law to recycle aluminium and glass at specified locations

The Goa Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) (Amendment) Act, 1996, was amended on Tuesday by the state cabinet to make it necessary for brand owners, manufacturers, and importers to collect and dispose of non-biodegradable waste, including aluminium and glass. The proposed amendment defines brand owners, manufacturers, and importers, as well as the obligation to collect and dump non-biodegradable packaging rubbish at designated locations and collection centres or with the agency recognised by the state government.

"This will make it mandatory for brand owners, producers and importers to collect PET bottles, glass bottles, aluminium cans and other non-biodegradable garbage and deposit the waste at locations specified by the state government and bear the expenditure for the same," said the cabinet.

It is also recommended to add two items to the Act's schedule — aluminium and glass — to include them as non-biodegradable rubbish. The federal government has mandated extended producer responsibility (EPR) to guarantee adequate separation and collection of non-biodegradable packaging trash. The Central Pollution Control Board is now monitoring and implementing the EPR using an online site.

The state, via the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC), has established a procedure for collecting segregated non-biodegradable trash from local bodies at a place bailed and transferred to cement companies in surrounding states at the state government's expense. Although EPR requires every manufacturer to build a collecting station for non-biodegradable packaging trash produced from products sold in the market in each local body, no such centre has been made in Goa.

To ease and ensure appropriate collection and disposal of non-biodegradable packaging material, such as glass and aluminium, the GWMC collects rubbish along national highways and key district roads. In contrast, the tourist agency collects waste from beaches.