Goa: Panaji residents can exchange dry waste for essentials

Panaji: Starting October 2, the civic body in Goa’s capital Panaji will kickstart its “shop with your waste campaign” (SWYWC), under which citizens will be provided essentials in exchange of dry waste, an official said on Thursday.

The innovative scheme is being introduced to mark the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti and the sixth year of Swacch Bharat Mission, said Sanjith Rodrigues, the commissioner of Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP).

“The campaign is technically supported under the ‘Waste NAMA’ project being implemented by GIZ India, a German Government Development Corporation, and the Energy and Resources Institute, a national think-tank,” he said.

The drive is also supported by 21st Century Polymers Private Limited, as a large-scale buyer of recyclables, he added.

Citizens are expected to bring in recyclable dry waste such as milk pouches, cardboard, crushed bottles, and exchange them for daily essentials such as bread, milk, eggs, rice, pulses etc, from shops that are part of the drive, he said.

The campaign is only open to shopkeepers who are based in Panaji city, the civic chief said.