Liquor Bottles In Kerala To Carry ₹20 Refundable Charge From September. Here's Why

(MENAFN- Live Mint) In a move to tackle the rising problem of plastic waste, the Kerala government has announced a new bottle-return scheme for liquor bottles sold through Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) outlets.

As part of a pilot project set to begin in September, an additional ₹20 will be charged on every liquor bottle-whether plastic or glass. This amount will be refunded when customers return the bottles to the outlet, according to the excise department.

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'An Investment In Responsible Consumption'
Excise Minister M B Rajesh emphasised that the ₹20 charge should not be viewed as an extra cost, but rather as“an investment in responsible consumption.” Each bottle will carry a QR code to help track its return and process refunds.

Kerala sells around 70 crore liquor bottles each year, of which nearly 80 per cent are plastic.“This will help reduce the number of bottles dumped on the streets,” the minister said. In a further step towards sustainability, the department has decided that all liquor priced above ₹800 will now be sold exclusively in glass bottles.

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Pilot Launch in Two Districts

The initiative, developed in partnership with Clean Kerala Company, will initially be rolled out in Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur. The state has taken cues from Tamil Nadu, where a similar return scheme is already in place and has shown success.

Separately, the excise department is set to open Bevco's first-ever super premium outlet in Thrissur on 5 August. These outlets will feature foreign liquor priced above ₹900, with plans to establish one such store in every district.

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