TASMAC, the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation responsible for retailing beer and liquor, has announced plans to expand its empty liquor bottle collection scheme to all districts in the state. The initiative, already operational in 10 districts, aims to address the issue of discarded bottles causing harm to both humans and animals.Currently, this scheme is active in districts such as Nilgiris, Perambalur, Coimbatore, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Dharmapuri, Theni, and Kanyakumari. Under the scheme, customers purchasing liquor from TASMAC outlets pay an additional ₹10 per bottle, which is refunded when they return the empty bottles to the outlets.
The initiative was launched in response to a court directive, primarily aimed at preventing littering in public spaces, especially in tourist spots where discarded bottles have become a major problem. By collecting the empty bottles, the government hopes to mitigate environmental and public health concerns.
A TASMAC official stated, “The scheme was scheduled for implementation in all districts from this month, but due to heavy rains and other logistical issues, it will now be fully operational by January.”