Goa DRS Awareness Drive at Borim Draws Strong Community Response

Goa DRS Awareness Drive at Borim Draws Strong Community Response

~ Borim’s Sai Baba Temple Board expresses confidence in initiative after experiencing live demonstrations of Reverse Vending Machines.

Panaji, June 2026: The Deposit Refund Scheme (Goa DRS) continued its statewide awareness and community engagement programme with an awareness activity at the Sai Baba Temple, Borim, where close to 200 residents and visitors experienced live demonstrations of the scheme and learned about responsible waste disposal practices.

As part of the ongoing Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaign, Goa DRS officials conducted hands-on demonstrations of the Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) and the handheld collection device, helping citizens understand how the upcoming scheme will enable consumers to return used non-biodegradable packaging material to receive deposit refund.

Participants interacted directly with the equipment and learned about the return process, eligible packaging categories and the environmental benefits of responsible disposal. The demonstration also provided residents with a practical understanding of how the system works, including QR-code based identification, container returns and digital refund processing.

Umesh Naik, secretary of the Sai Baba Temple Board, welcomed the initiative and said, “After experiencing the scheme, I feel this is a good initiative by the Government. The effort being made to take the scheme across Goa is commendable. RVMs should be present in every village so that people use them instead of littering plastic and glass bottles.”

Members of the Sai Baba Temple Board also expressed greater confidence in the scheme after experiencing the demonstrations and indicated their willingness to provide space for an RVM within the temple vicinity, helping serve the residents of the Borim Panchayat area.

Through such engagements, Goa DRS aims to familiarise communities with the upcoming system while encouraging behavioural change through financial incentives linked to responsible disposal.
The Borim activation is a part of the growing series of outreach programmes being conducted across Goa ahead of the scheme’s rollout. Similar demonstrations have previously been held at Cashew Fest in Panaji, Spirit of Goa at Colva, the FC Goa versus Mohun Bagan match at Fatorda Stadium, the Assolna & Salvador Parish Festival, village panchayats in Nadora, Sal, Anjuna, Loliem Polem, Arambol, Agonda, Tivrem-orgaon, Assagao, Talegaon, Azossim, Morjim etc., as well as the Panjim Potluck community event.

Image 1 Caption: A Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) showcased at the Sai Baba Temple, in Borim village in Ponda taluka, giving devotees and visitors to the temple an opportunity to experience the unique technology-led DRS scheme, aimed at addressing Goa’s litter waste.