United Breweries brings together stakeholders to strengthen waste management in North Goa through Project Bin It Better
Ponda, Goa | September 24, 2026 – United Breweries Limited (UBL), part of the HEINEKEN Company, brought together government, Panchayat, community and project stakeholders at the Bin It Better – Partners for Progress stakeholder meet in Ponda, Goa, to reflect on the programme’s progress, strengthen collaboration and align on priorities for the way forward.
Implemented in partnership with PLAN Foundation and Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC), Project Bin It Better is a three-year initiative focused on strengthening community-led solid waste management across 16 villages and 11 Panchayats in Ponda Taluka, covering approximately 37,000 residents across 9,300 households. The programme focuses on improving source segregation, door-to-door collection, waste transportation and safe disposal, while strengthening sanitation worker welfare and building institutional and community capacity.
Since its implementation in January 2025, the programme has brought together government institutions, local communities, sanitation workers and project partners to strengthen waste management systems and support greater community participation.
The event was attended by Shri Subhash Shirodkar, Hon’ble Minister for Water Resources Department, Co-operation and Provedoria, Government of Goa; Shri. Harish Adconkar, Managing Director, Goa Waste Management Corporation; Shri. Ashwin Desai, Block Development Officer, Ponda along with representatives from the Block Development Office, Goa Waste Management Corporation, Panchayats, community stakeholders and project partners. The discussions highlighted the importance of coordinated action across government institutions, communities, sanitation workers and other stakeholders in building stronger and more sustainable waste management systems.
Speaking at the event, Garima Singh, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, United Breweries Limited, said “Strengthening waste management requires collective action and sustained collaboration across government, communities, sanitation workers and implementation partners. Project Bin It Better brings these stakeholders together around a common objective of strengthening local systems. The progress so far demonstrates the value of combining community participation, institutional coordination and practical interventions, while keeping the safety, welfare and dignity of sanitation workers at the centre of the project.”
Neha Sasikumar, Director, PLAN Foundation, said “Waste management practices are most effective when communities are equipped to participate and local institutions have the capacity to support them. Through Project Bin It Better, UBL and PLAN Foundation are working closely with Panchayats, sanitation workers and residents to strengthen awareness, improve practices and support implementation on the ground. This collaboration is helping build greater ownership of waste management within the communities and strengthen local capacity for the long term.”
Community participation has been an important component of the project. It has supported 53 awareness sessions involving 1,140 participants and 22 community clean-up drives involving 281 volunteers, through which 2,304 kg of waste was collected. Door-to-door awareness and collection activities have reached 9,365 households across participating Panchayats.
The project has also focused on strengthening the safety and welfare of sanitation workers. 83 sanitation workers have been provided with safety gear and medical kits, while 38 sanitation workers have been felicitated in recognition of their contribution. In addition, 114 enrolments under various government schemes have been facilitated.
As an important step towards strengthening door-to-door waste collection in Bethoda, a secondary waste collection vehicle was deployed in September 2026. In the first 17 days of its deployment, the vehicle covered 1,529 km across 22 trips from the Panchayats to GWMC, resulting in the diversion of 16.46 tonnes of dry waste.
Project Bin It Better reflects a collaborative approach to strengthening local waste management systems, bringing together government institutions, Panchayats, communities, sanitation workers and project partners.
