The Maharashtra government has formalised a partnership with Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages to enhance PET bottle collection and recycling across major cities, marking a significant advance in the state’s circular economy strategy. The agreement, signed during Mumbai Climate Week, establishes the “Maha-rPET Campaign” to integrate public-private coordination in plastic waste management, aiming to reduce urban environmental footprints and strengthen sustainable consumption practices.
The collaboration spans several urban centres including Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Panvel, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Beed, and Palghar. Under the initiative, structured collection systems will be deployed in retail outlets, hotels, workplaces, and public spaces, complemented by awareness programmes in schools and civic institutions to encourage responsible disposal and recycling. Officials note that aligning government oversight with corporate operational capacity can create a scalable, community-centred waste management model. Experts highlight that PET waste remains a persistent environmental challenge in densely populated cities, contributing to plastic pollution in landfills, water bodies, and urban drainage systems. By formalising collection and recycling mechanisms, Maharashtra is targeting measurable reductions in plastic leakage and promoting circularity in consumer packaging. The campaign also seeks to demonstrate practical models for integrating industrial participation in municipal waste management.
The State Climate Action Cell, a key policy instrument in the initiative, has concurrently signed a separate MoU with Climate Trade LLP to strengthen climate awareness, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building. These agreements reinforce the operationalisation of Maharashtra’s State Climate Action Plan and underline the integration of private sector expertise into state-level climate policy implementation. In conjunction with these partnerships, two guidance reports were released. One, developed in collaboration with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, charts a roadmap for net-zero transition in municipal energy and buildings, focusing on rooftop solar expansion and climate-resilient urban infrastructure in seven cities, including Mumbai, Thane, and Amravati. Another report, prepared with the Centre for Water and Sanitation, provides climate-responsive frameworks for water and sanitation delivery, highlighting energy-efficient, inclusive, and circular economy-based urban solutions.
Urban planners suggest that embedding private-sector waste management initiatives within state policy frameworks can accelerate behavioural change and infrastructural efficiency, while simultaneously advancing climate resilience targets. Community-centric engagement, combined with structured industrial collaboration, may serve as a replicable blueprint for other states seeking to integrate circular economy principles in urban management. The initiative represents a convergence of policy, corporate responsibility, and civic participation. As cities expand and consumption patterns intensify, structured PET recycling and climate-aligned urban planning are expected to mitigate environmental impact, enhance resource efficiency, and foster inclusive urban sustainability.
Maharashtra Launches Statewide PET Recycling Campaign
