Thane Municipal Corporation and Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), the bottling arm of The Coca-Cola Company have expanded the Maha r-PET Abhiyaan in Thane with the inauguration of a dedicated PET Collection Centre.
The programme also saw the launch of used PET collection bins, a participation certificate and Green Cool Dukaan sticker for retailers, three electric vehicles for collection operations, and benches made from recycled PET plastic collected through the initiative.
Collection infrastructure gets a boost
The newly inaugurated Thane PET Collection Centre will serve as a dedicated aggregation and collection facility for used PET bottles recovered through the programme.
Supported by collection partners and retailers, the centre is intended to strengthen the recovery and channelisation of used PET bottles into authorised recycling streams.
Recognise retailers contribution
The dedicated collection bins 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 electric vehicles will support last-mile collection operations across Thane.
Recycled PET put to new use
The programme also showcased benches manufactured using recycled PET plastic collected through the initiative. The installations demonstrate how used PET bottles can be converted into useful products through recycling and support the principles of a circular economy.
“Building a robust used PET bottle recycling ecosystem requires strong collaboration across the entire value chain, from collection and segregation to processing and end-use. The Thane Collection Centre is an important step towards creating a more organised and traceable supply chain for recyclable materials, enabling segregation at source and the identification of food-grade PET for high-value recycling applications,” HCCB, Head of Integrated Supply Chain, Avinash Kant Kumar, said.
Statewide movement targets recycling
Maha r-PET Abhiyaan was launched by the Maharashtra Government as a statewide movement focused on improving the collection, recovery and recycling of used PET bottles through awareness, source segregation, community participation and collection infrastructure.
The initiative seeks to ensure that used PET bottles are collected separately and remain suitable for recycling, helping reduce landfill burden while supporting circular economy objectives. It brings together collection infrastructure, retailer participation, consumer awareness and collection support systems to strengthen the recycling value chain.
Programme to expand across Maharashtra
“The days of ‘use and throw’ are behind us; the time has come for ‘use and collect’. Following this, the initiative will be implemented in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik, and in Beed as well,” Maharashtra Environment & Climate Change Minister, Pankaja Munde, said.
The expansion in Thane is expected to strengthen the city’s PET recovery infrastructure while encouraging greater participation from residents, retailers and collection partners. The programme combines source segregation, organised collection and recycling to support a more circular approach to PET packaging.