Maharashtra Govt and Coca-Cola partner to collect & recycle plastic bottles

The Maharashtra environment and climate change department has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages to strengthen the collection and recycling of used PET bottles. This collection & recycling activity will take place across the state.

The initiative will be implemented under the “Maha-rPET Campaign,” aimed at building an organised and structured system for post-consumer PET waste collection.

As per reports, the partnership seeks to promote sustainable waste management practices and advance circular economy goals by ensuring that discarded plastic bottles are channelled back into the recycling stream.

The campaign will be rolled out across major urban centres including Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Panvel, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Beed and Palghar. Collection points are proposed to be established at retail outlets, hotels, workplaces and other public locations to improve accessibility for consumers. The initiative will also include awareness and information-education campaigns in coordination with schools, institutions and local self-governing bodies to encourage responsible PET disposal.

The agreement brings together policy-level oversight from the state government with on-ground implementation through a public-private partnership framework. Secretary of the environment and climate change department Jayashree Bhoj and director of the state climate action cell Abhijit Ghorpade signed the MoU on behalf of the government.

Maharashtra generates approximately 440,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually, with a significant portion stemming from PET bottles especially in cities like Mumbai and Pune. PET bottles mostly end up in landfills, drains and water bodies when not properly segregated.

As per experts, strengthening collection and recycling infrastructure is seen as critical to reducing plastic pollution, preventing urban flooding caused by clogged drainage systems, and moving the state closer to its sustainability and climate goals.