GOA
- Experts say plastic ban will fail in absence of alternative
- The ban on plastic is unlikely to succeed in the absence of an alternative to carry and pack food items, according to experts in waste management.
- Experts say that the decision taken by the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) to ban plastic carry bags in the city from October 2 without actually providing an alternative will lead to a slight inconvenience to buyers and vendors.
- Ban on plastic is not new to Panaji. The CCP had imposed a ban on plastic below 40 microns in the year 2011 as part of the Chaka Chak Goa campaign but these thin bags continued to be manufactured, vendors continued to procure them and consumers continued to demand them.
- In order to help in implementation of plastic ban, many social entrepreneurs in Bengaluru started a model of borrowing a bag. Under this model, the stores and shops can buy cloth bags from the team at a fixed cost. These will be rented to customers who need bags, at Rs 20, Rs 30 or Rs 40 depending on the size. People can get their deposit back if they return the cloth bag within the scheduled time.
- In Guwahati, the Municipal Corporation encourages people to bring their own bags – be it paper bag, cloth bag or any other bag and also has also tied up with self-help groups (SHGs) to make paper bags, which are biodegradable, ranging between Rs 5 and Rs 14.