Kerala to charge ₹20 refundable deposit on liquor bottles from September

Thiruvananthapuram: In a bid to tackle the mounting problem of plastic waste, the Kerala government has announced a new bottle-return initiative for liquor bottles sold through its Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) outlets.

Starting with a pilot programme in September, an additional ₹20 will be charged on all liquor sold in plastic and glass bottles. This amount will be refunded when customers return the empty bottles to the point of purchase, according to the state’s Excise Department.

Excise Minister M.B. Rajesh emphasised that the ₹20 charge should not be viewed as an extra fee but rather as a deposit encouraging responsible consumption. Each bottle will feature a QR code to enable tracking and facilitate refunds.

Kerala sees the sale of approximately 700 million liquor bottles annually, 80% of which are plastic. “This scheme will help reduce the number of bottles discarded in public spaces,” the minister said. As part of a broader environmental push, the state has also mandated that all liquor priced above ₹800 will now be sold exclusively in glass bottles.

The project, launched in partnership with Clean Kerala Company, will initially be implemented in Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur districts. Officials said the initiative draws inspiration from Tamil Nadu, where a similar scheme has already been successfully rolled out.

Meanwhile, the Excise Department is preparing to open Bevco’s first-ever super-premium outlet in Thrissur on 5 August. These outlets will offer foreign liquor priced above ₹900, with plans to launch one in each district across the state.