Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Oct 5: The Maharashtra government, Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) and Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB) have expanded the Maha r-PET Abhiyaan in Thane with the inauguration of a dedicated PET Collection Centre and the launch of initiatives aimed at strengthening the collection, segregation and recycling of used PET bottles across the city.
The programme included the launch of dedicated used PET collection bins, the introduction of the Maha r-PET Abhiyaan Participation Certificate and Green Cool Dukaan Sticker for retailers, and the flagging off of three electric vehicles to support collection operations.
Benches made from recycled PET plastic collected through the initiative were also unveiled during the programme, demonstrating how used plastic bottles can be converted into useful products through recycling and supporting the principles of a circular economy.
The event was attended by Maharashtra Animal Husbandry, Environment and Climate Change Minister Pankaja Munde, MLA Sanjay Kelkar, MLC Niranjan Davkhare, MLC Madhavi Naik, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board member secretary Rahul Rekhawar, Thane Municipal Corporation Additional Collector Harishchandra Patil and HCCB Chief Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability Officer Himanshu Priyadarshi.
Actors Prasad Oak, Shivani Surve and Amit Sial, rapper Dino James, community partners, retailers, hotel owners' associations and other stakeholders from the PET collection and recycling ecosystem also participated in the programme.
The newly inaugurated Thane PET Collection Centre will function as a dedicated aggregation and collection facility for used PET bottles recovered through the initiative. Supported by collection partners and retailers, the centre is intended to strengthen the recovery and channelisation of used PET bottles into authorised recycling streams.
The collection bins introduced under the programme will encourage residents to segregate used PET bottles at source. The Green Cool Dukaan initiative and participation certificates will recognise retailers contributing to the collection effort, while the three electric vehicles will support last-mile collection operations across Thane.
Speaking at the launch, Pankaja Munde said the initiative marked a shift from a "use and throw" approach towards a "use and collect" model. She said the project would subsequently be implemented in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik and Beed, and described environmental protection as both a government and collective responsibility.
HCCB Head of Integrated Supply Chain Avinash Kant Kumar said building a robust used PET bottle recycling ecosystem required collaboration across the entire value chain, from collection and segregation to processing and end-use.
He said the Thane Collection Centre would help create a more organised and traceable supply chain for recyclable materials, promote segregation at source and facilitate the identification of food-grade PET for high-value recycling applications.
The Maha r-PET Abhiyaan, launched by the Maharashtra government, is a statewide initiative focused on improving the collection, recovery and recycling of used PET bottles through awareness, source segregation, community participation and collection infrastructure.
The programme aims to ensure that used PET bottles are collected separately and remain suitable for recycling, thereby reducing the burden on landfills and supporting circular economy objectives. It brings together collection infrastructure, retailer participation, consumer awareness and collection support systems to strengthen the recovery of used PET bottles and channel them into the recycling value chain.
HCCB, incorporated in 1997 and headquartered in Bengaluru, operates across 10 states and 236 districts in South and West India. The company has 14 manufacturing facilities and serves more than 20 lakh retailers through around 2,000 distributors, with over 5,200 employees.
In Maharashtra, HCCB operates manufacturing plants at Pirangut in Pune district and Wada in Palghar district, while a new facility is coming up at Lote Parshuram in Ratnagiri district.