India’s Goa State Level Packaging Deposit Refund Scheme to be Effective Starting April 2, 2026

On October 23, 2025, the State of Goa, India, published the country’s first notification regarding a packaging Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS). Since then, the state has launched a dedicated website to provide related information. Under this scheme, producers, importers, and brand owners who place products using target packaging on the market in Goa must add a deposit amount to the product price and affix identification QR codes. The scheme aims to increase recovery rates for various materials by refunding the deposit to consumers when they return the packaging to designated collection point. Target materials include plastic, cartons, glass bottles and metal cans. While the effective date is set for April 2, 2026, the scheme will be enforced in stages for certain types of packaging.