Go green. --- Save Earth.

Restriction on Plastic Bags - Does it Work?

Yes, I agree that the restriction on Plastic bags implemented by local government in Hyderabad has brought down the use of plastic bags as now many people carry their own cloth bags to avoid paying money for Plastic bags. We can see some people taking their own bags to the retail marts, local shops and even chic Malls. Some very thin plastic bags are made in such a way that they are not recyclable and they pollute the environment by clogging the water sewerage systems. Since they cannot be reused and plastic being non-bio-degradable by nature such thin plastic bags occupy large tracts of waste land, occupy and start degrading the water bodies and natural environment. That way this ruling to not use plastic bags of a thickness lower than 40 microns is commendable.

But the point to be debated is why use Plastic bags at all when there is an option available to use cloth or jute (environmental friendly) bags. We should question the reason behind the shops, marts and malls selling plastic bags of any kind. People who don't carry their own bags have the option of buying plastic bags of different sizes - small for Rs 2, medium size for Rs 3 and large size for Rs 5. Would it not be better if the shops started selling only cloth bags? This will be a good way of educating and making people aware about not using plastic bags.

One day I was standing in the payment queue in Spencer's and a lady was in front of me. Fashionably dressed, she was busy on her Apple iPhone and kind of lost in her own world. The cashier asked her if she had her own bags to carry her stuff. She shook her head in negative and indicated that she needed the bags from the shop. The cashier put her things in at least 5 plastic bags and she had a very casual attitude towards that. In her purchased items were mostly organic food items so in one way she wanted to protect herself from harmful chemicals (pesticides, fertilizers) but on the other side she was buying plastic bags which would do a lot of harm to the environment.

Everyone should do their 2 cents towards helping the future generation by preserving and protecting nature. There should be a concerted effort towards bringing awareness in educated still unaware on unconcerned folks. At the same time the shops should also stop selling plastic bags and only sell bio-degradable and environmental friendly shopping bags. This initiative will only yield positive results if each and every citizen uses Eco-friendly bags.

We ourselves are unthinkingly exploiting our resources. It depends on the willingness of the people to change their perceptions and readiness to alter their present use of natural resources. Management in the stores will have to take a step ahead and sell cloth bags instead of plastic bags.

Be environmental friendly!!