Put empty bottles in ATM, earn money

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, April 22 

In an attempt to make Panchkula garbage-free, the Panchkula Municipal Corporation will soon install ATMs at different locations in the city where people can get Re 1 for an empty water bottle and 20 to 50 paise for plastic wrappers. 

Initially, the MC will engage garbage lifters, who lift garbage such as empty bottles, plastic and empty cold drink and beer canes from commercial areas.  The MC will pay money against these items through e-wallet. 

Giving details about the project, MC Commissioner Rajesh Jogpal said, “Ater drinking water, cold drink and beer, people usually throw empty bottles in the open. Garbage collectors lift these bottles and sell these to junk dealers at a very low price. Now, these garbage lifters can register themselves with the MC and use these ATMs, where they can deposit these bottles and the money will be transferred to their bank accounts through e-wallet.”

He said there would be details of these registered garbage lifters in these machines and people could select their name and the money would be transferred.  

He said though initially the scheme was only for garbage lifters, later if any commercial unit or household wanted to register themselves with the MC, they could also avail of the facility. By engaging more and more people, they would make Panchkula garbage-free, Jogpal said. 

The MC would compress these empty plastic bottles collected from people. Besides, it would sell other material, including empty beer bottles, to wholesalers for recycling, he said.