Dehradun, Jan 6 (PTI) A unique digital experiment to reduce plastic littering along the Kedarnath pilgrimage trek has won the Digital India Award.

'Digital Deposit Refund System', a combined initiative of the Rudraprayag district administration and Recykal, Asia's largest circular economy marketplace for recyclables, won the award in the 'Digital Initiatives in collaboration with startups' category.

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Under the digital initiative, tourists and pilgrims deposited an additional amount of Rs 10 while purchasing products with plastic packaging and received a refund in cash or via UPI upon returning the plastic bottle at a deposit refund centre set up by Recykal in the area.

Over 1.63 lakh bottles were thus stopped from entering the Himalayan trenches and water bodies due to the initiative which also generated new jobs and an additional income source for the locals, Recykal founder and CEO Abhay Deshpande said.

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The award will be bestowed upon the recipients by President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on Saturday, he said.

"We are happy the Digital Deposit Refund System has received recognition at the national level. We thank the Uttarakhand government, local unions, associations and citizens for their relentless support," Deshpande said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)