Hey OSM Kerala,

I’ve recently come across these innovative “Bottle Booths” scattered across Kerala as part of the state’s push for better plastic waste management. From what I’ve gathered, they’re public recycling stations designed specifically for collecting plastic bottles to reduce littering and promote recycling. The Kochi Corporation alone has installed over 300 of them in various spots, and similar initiatives are popping up elsewhere, often tied to the Haritha Karma Sena waste collection program.

Inspired by this, I’ve started mapping them into OpenStreetMap! So far, I’ve added a few in my local area, tagging them as:

• https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:amenity=recycling
• https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:recycling_type=container
• https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:recycling:plastic_bottles=yes
• Optional extras like https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:name=Bottle Booth and https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:operator=Local Corporation (e.g., Varkala Muncipality) if known.

I’m not entirely sure about the full benefits of mapping every single one—maybe it’ll help apps like OsmAnd or Organic Maps guide people to the nearest booth, encouraging more recycling and cutting down on plastic pollution. It could also provide useful data for environmental projects or local governments.

If anyone’s in Kerala and wants to join in, let’s collaborate! keep an eye out and add them as you go. Here’s a photo of one.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plastic_bottle_booth,_Kerala.jpg

Happy mapping!