PepsiCo to install plastic crushing machines across Maharashtra in 2 years

Shirdi: Food and beverages firm PepsiCo India is planning to install reverse vending machines to crush PET plastic bottles in all the 36 districts of the state over the next two years as part of its plastic waste management initiative, a top executive said.

It aims to collect, segregate and recycle 6,500 tonnes of PET bottles in the state in the first year through this initiative.

"We plan to roll out this (plastic waste management) initiative to all the 36 districts of the state over the next two years," PepsiCo India vice-president Neelima Dwivedi told PTI.

In a meeting with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in Nagpur in July, PepsiCo India's president and chief executive officer Ahmed ElSheikh had said the company is committed to the government's vision and focus on addressing the issue of plastic waste in a sustainable manner.

As part of the initiative, it Thursday installed reverse vending machines here, and has tied up with Gem Enviro Management to install a total of 10 reverse vending machines and 20 manual machines in the city.

Besides, it will also be setting up collection centres for the PET bottles.

"We have started plastic waste management initiative from Shirdi because of the footfalls," said Dwivedi.

The reverse vending machines, indigenously developed by Gem Enviro Management, can each crush 600 bottles a day and each manual machines can crush 500 bottles a day, its director Sachin Sharma said.

He added that the cost of manufacturing one machine is Rs 5 lakh.