DRS Community Outreach Draws Strong Response at Assolna Parish Festival
~ Nearly 500 people experienced Goa’s upcoming Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS) through live demonstrations at the Regina Martyrum Church compound.
Margao, April 2026: Continuing with its community outreach, officials of the Goa Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS) conducted a two-day (April 24-25) live demonstration at the local parish festival held at Regina Martyrum Church Compound, Assolna, where close to 500 people experienced first-hand how the upcoming waste-disposal system will work.
The outreach programme drew enthusiastic participation from residents, families and parish visitors keen to understand how used beverage containers and packaging can be returned responsibly for refunds.
The outreach effort comes at a time when the Department of Environment & Climate Change, Government of Goa, is introducing DRS as a behavioural change initiative aimed at reducing litter, improving recycling outcomes and strengthening waste recovery systems across the state. The DRS experience zone at Assolna enabled citizens to interact directly with the technology, understand the return process and see how DRS can seamlessly become part of everyday habits.
Appreciating the upcoming initiative, Father Romeu Godinho said, “It is encouraging to see our community embrace the Deposit Refund Scheme. I urge the people of Assolna and beyond to participate wholeheartedly by returning packaging responsibly and helping build a cleaner Goa for future generations.”
The showcase featured a range of India-made smart collection technologies designed for different environments and return volumes. These included the Reklaim Ace Reverse Vending Machine for high-footfall locations, the Reklaim Fastscan for rapid QR-based returns, the compact Reklaim Mini for smaller or temporary sites, and Reklaim Go, a portable handheld device designed to support doorstep and last-mile collections. All machines are built to suit local consumption patterns while leveraging India’s growing AI capabilities for efficient identification and processing.
Previous outreach efforts by DRS have included public engagement zones and live demonstrations at Cashew Fest Season 4 in Panaji, the Nadora Panchayat and The Spirit of Goa Festival in Colva, which received active involvement from visitors.
