The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) has installed cloth bag vending machines- similar to ATMs—at temples across the state, providing devotees with access to reusable cloth bags. This aims to reduce the plastic waste in the state. Additionally, reverse vending machines for plastic bottles have been set up at key bus stands and a railway station.
Currently, 14 cloth bag vending machines are operational at well-known temples across Gujarat, including Ambaji, Somnath, Dwarka, Shamlaji, Sarangpur and ISKCON. Devotees can obtain eco-friendly cloth bags by paying Rs 5 per bag—either through a ₹5 coin or via UPI mode.
The initiative received a positive response, with over 5,000 bags sold in just 60 days. To expand this initiative, the GPCB will install similar machines at 250 Amul Parlour outlets statewide in the coming month.
Plans are underway to expand this initiative by installing similar machines at 250 Amul Parlour outlets statewide in the coming month.
R.B. Barad, Chairman of the GPCB, emphasised the strategic placement of these vending machines to promote cloth bags and make eco-friendly options accessible to all.
In a similar effort, reverse vending machines have been set up at seven major ST bus stands in Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar and Bharuch.
Additionally, Udhna railway station in Surat hosts one of these recycling machines. Since their launch on World Environment Day, June 5, 2024, these machines have successfully recycled over 9,500 plastic bottles in just two months.
