Kerala’s Eco-Friendly Push: Liquor Above ₹800 To Be Sold in Glass Bottles, ₹20 Refund on Bottle Returns
In partnership with Clean Kerala Company, a trial run is scheduled in September in Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur.
Taking a step towards reducing environmental damage caused by plastic waste, Kerala’s excise department has rolled out two new decisions. Firstly, liquor priced above ₹800 will now be available only in glass bottles instead of plastic ones. Secondly, a refundable deposit of ₹20 will be levied when purchasing liquor in either plastic or glass bottles from Bevco (Kerala State Beverages Corporation) outlets across the state.
Excise Minister M.B. Rajesh announced that customers will receive a refund of the ₹20 deposit upon returning the empty bottle to the outlet. To ensure proper tracking, each bottle will carry a QR code.
This initiative will be implemented on a pilot basis in September in Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur districts, in collaboration with the Clean Kerala Company.
The minister highlighted that a similar bottle return system is already in place in Tamil Nadu and has been functioning successfully. Kerala has studied this model before making its move.
Out of the approximately 70 crore bottles sold annually in the state, nearly 80 per cent are made of plastic. The minister stated that this initiative would help address the problem of discarded bottles littering public spaces.
Additionally, Bevco is set to open its first super-premium outlet in Thrissur on August 5. These high-end outlets will cater to customers purchasing foreign liquor priced above ₹900. One such outlet is planned for each district.
