CHENNAI: Taking the burden of the contentious liquor bottle buy-back process out of the hands of Tasmac retail shop employees, the State government has approved a tech-enabled system to collect empty bottles and refund Rs 10 to consumers through digital payments.

The move comes amid protests by Tasmac employees over the additional workload involved in collecting, verifying and storing returned bottles. The reverse vending machines (RVMs), which have already been introduced on a pilot basis at select outlets in Chennai, will be rolled out across the State in phases. Once implemented, consumers will be able to return eligible bottles at authorised collection points and receive Rs 10 through digital payments, without having to visit the outlet where they purchased the liquor.

According to Government Order No 63 issued by the Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, the system operator will be responsible for arranging manpower, operating the machines, collecting and storing bottles, and transporting them for further processing or disposal.

The order explicitly excludes Tasmac retail shop employees from collecting, counting, verifying, handling, and temporarily storing empty bottles, as well as processing cash refunds. They will also not be required to maintain manual accounts for these transactions. The operator must make its own arrangements for manpower and operations without transferring these responsibilities to shop personnel.

The transition will be carried out region-wise, with the existing arrangements continuing until the new system is commissioned. During the interim period, arrangements must, to the extent operationally feasible, avoid involving retail staff in manual refunds, handling and storage, except for supervision.

As part of the transition, existing region-wise contracts for collecting and disposing of empty liquor bottles, awarded for the period from August 2025 to July 2028, will be pre-closed or terminated in accordance with the applicable contractual provisions.