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Chennai. Tamil Nadu has taken the help of technology to deal with the waste and environmental damage caused by empty wine bottles. Artificial Intelligence (AI) based Automatic Bottle Collection Machine has been installed at a government liquor shop (Tasmak) located in Egmore area of ​​the capital Chennai. Consumers are getting an immediate refund of Rs 10 on depositing empty bottles in this machine.

Called ‘Reverse Vending Machine’, the system uses modern cameras and sensors to identify and verify bottles. As soon as a person inserts an empty glass bottle into the machine, it checks its size, brand, quality and condition. The machine immediately returns Rs 10 if the bottle is found to be as per the standards. There are plans to connect this system with digital payment facilities in the future.

In fact, empty liquor bottles had become a major environmental problem in the tourism and hilly areas of Tamil Nadu. Broken glass thrown in forests, roads and valley areas was causing harm to wildlife. In view of this problem, bottle return scheme was first started in areas like Nilgiris and Kodaikanal.

During the hearing of PILs filed on this issue, the Madras High Court had directed the state government to develop an effective system for collection and recycling of empty bottles. After this, a system of taking an additional deposit of Rs 10 on each bottle of liquor and returning the same amount on returning the bottle was implemented.

The High Court itself is monitoring this scheme, which started in the year 2022. The court also stressed on ensuring that consumers get their refunds on time and that the scheme is not limited to paper only.

Seeing the success of the scheme, there are now preparations to expand it to the entire Tamil Nadu. The court has also directed the state government not to limit the bottle return and recycling model to select areas only.

Such a system is already successfully implemented in many countries of the world. Under Germany’s famous ‘Pfand’ system an additional amount is charged when purchasing a bottle and returned upon return. Thanks to this model, 90 to 95 percent of the bottles are included in the recycling process.

Experts believe that this initiative of using empty bottles as a resource instead of treating them as garbage will strengthen the recycling industry along with environmental protection. Bottles in good condition will be reused, while damaged glass will be melted down to create new bottles, medicine bottles, jars and other products.

The already strong glass manufacturing and recycling industry in Tamil Nadu can make this project more effective. In such a situation, experts are considering it as an important step towards cleanliness, environmental protection and circular economy.