This popup waste bar in Goa hands out beer in exchange for beach trash

Modelled on similar bars in the Netherlands, a popup waste bar in Goa attempts to clean up the state's beaches.

Presenting an unusual way to clean up its trashy beaches, a waste bar in Goa is handing out free beers in exchange for the beach waste. This concept of a waste bar, borrowed from the Netherlands, was undertaken by the ‘TeraMeraBeach’ campaign by Drishti Marine, a private beach management agency. The idea is simple: trade in 10 beer bottle caps, 20 used cigarettes, or five used plastic straws for a chilled beer or a cocktail.

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The popup waste bar was spotted at the Zanzibar shack in Baga on January 30. Since then, more venues in the state have signed up to adopt this waste-bar concept.

The bar presents a creative solution for a growing problem. The state which generates revenue from annually hosting about eight million tourists, also generates piles of discarded waste at its beaches. This initiative not only cleans up the beaches but also promotes awareness about polluted beaches. It’s also a pretty sneaky way to avoid a Rs 2,000 fine for drinking on the beach.

A Storypick report quotes Noreen van Holstein, who started the campaign with Drishti Marine that has been working with Goa’s tourism ministry to control the state’s garbage menace, as saying,

“The waste-bar is a win-win concept. It is positive for the venue as it is a positive event that attracts a crowd. You get very happy customers as they feel they contribute to society and get a free drink for it. And for brands, it helps in positioning.”

As per GQ India, popup waste bars are most likely to come up at Calangute-Candolim beach and will be operational twice a month, between 4 pm and 6 pm.

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Holstein added, “People come to Goa for two things: beach and the bar. So let’s give them what they come for – free drinks in exchange for garbage that they collect. This ensures that they become conscious of the waste that is there on the beach and that trash actually has value! They will leave Goa with a positive feeling and a clean beach.”

This isn’t the first time the waste bar concept has been executed on Goa’s beaches. Speaking about the ‘TeraMeraBeach’ campaign, CEO of Dristhi Marine, Ravi Shankar told Storypick,

We ran an extremely successful campaign over 150 days in the last tourist season with the intention of creating awareness on beach clean-up and teach people about the importance of waste segregation. We made a significantly positive impact on that front and hence have decided to run the campaign this season as well.

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