Launch of Thane PET Collection Centre
On 5 October 2026, the Government of Maharashtra, Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) and Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB) inaugurated the Thane PET Collection Centre as the latest expansion of the state‑wide Maha r‑PET Abhiyaan. The centre is a dedicated aggregation and collection facility for used PET bottles recovered through the programme and is supported by a network of collection partners and retailers to channel bottles into authorised recycling streams.
New Infrastructure and Initiatives
The inauguration featured the deployment of dedicated used‑PET collection bins across the city, the introduction of a Maha r‑PET Abhiyaan Participation Certificate and a Green Cool Dukaan sticker to recognise retailers that actively contribute, the flag‑off of three electric vehicles to support last‑mile collection, and the unveiling of public benches fabricated from recycled PET plastic collected under the initiative.
Official Participation
The event was attended by Smt. Pankaja Munde, Hon'ble Minister for Animal Husbandry, Environment & Climate Change, Government of Maharashtra; MLA Sanjay Kelkar; MLCs Niranjan Davkhare and Madhavi Naik; Shri Rahul Rekhawar, IAS and Member Secretary, MPCB; Shri Harishchandra Patil, Additional Collector, TMC; Mr. Himanshu Priyadarshi, Chief Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability Officer, HCCB; as well as actors Prasad Oak, Shivani Surve, Amit Sial and rapper Dino James, together with community partners, retailers, hotel‑owner associations and other stakeholders from the PET collection and recycling ecosystem.
Statements from Leaders
Minister Pankaja Munde said, "I am extremely delighted that the environment‑friendly project, Maha r‑PET Abhiyaan, is being launched in Thane district in collaboration with Hindustan Coca‑Cola Beverages. The days of 'use and throw' are behind us; the time has come for 'use and collect'. Following this, the initiative will be implemented in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik and Beed districts as well." Avinash Kant Kumar, Head of Integrated Supply Chain at HCCB, added that the Thane Collection Centre is a critical step toward building a robust, traceable supply chain for recyclable materials, enabling source segregation and identification of food‑grade PET for high‑value recycling applications, thereby supporting resource efficiency and a resilient, sustainable supply chain.
About Hindustan Coca‑Cola Beverages
HCCB, incorporated on 14 February 1997, is one of India’s leading FMCG companies. It serves over 20 lakh retailers, approximately 2,000 distributors and employs more than 5,200 staff. The company sources agricultural produce from about 2,50,000 farmers. Headquartered in Bengaluru, HCCB operates in ten states and 236 districts across South and West India, with 14 factories nationwide. In Maharashtra, it runs two state‑of‑the‑art manufacturing plants at Pirangut (Pune district) and Wada (Palghar district) and has an upcoming plant at Lote Parshuram in Ratnagiri district. HCCB’s portfolio includes 37 products across eight categories, featuring brands such as Coca‑Cola, Thums Up, Sprite, Minute Maid, Maaza, SmartWater, Kinley, Limca and Fanta.
Outlook
The Thane PET Collection Centre and associated initiatives are positioned to enhance PET bottle recovery rates, reduce landfill burden and demonstrate a scalable model for circular‑economy practices that can be replicated in other districts of Maharashtra.