Moneybag scheme to cut use of plastic

Green campaigners kicked off a novel campaign on Sunday to prevent the use of plastics in the city.

In the drive called Green Voice, initiated by Compact Green Enterprises (CGE) and Voice for India covering 600 petty and middle-level shops, low-priced brown bags made of plastic will be given to shoppers who can get back part of the money they spend when they return them to these shops after wear and tear.

To begin with, these bags priced at Rs5 will be available at shops in Domlur. If customers return them, they will get back Rs4.

Even torn bags will be accepted but for Rs3 less. These bags will then be sanitised and reintroduced in the market so people can continue using them. People who collect old newspapers will be made responsible for collecting these plastic bags so that they can be recycled.

Green Voice was launched in Domlur in the presence of PC Mohan, MP, Geetha Shrinivas, local councillor, and AS Sadashivaiah, KSPCB chairman.

“Using plastic bags is not a crime but dumping them is. Considering that the ban on plastic bags has not worked, there has to be a better solution for proper disposal of plastic bags,” said Suresh Tota, director, CGE.

“Newspapers and milk packets are properly disposed of because there is a value attached. By adding value to plastic bags too, we want to make sure that people do not simply dump it but dispose it properly so that it is not harmful to environment,” he said.

Each of these bags could replace at least 15 to 35 plastic bags. The bags could be used a number of times and these would be recycled for continued usage. “We also have plans to introduce red bags to differentiate between meat bags and others.  Medicine bags are also planned so that pharmaceutical industries can advertise,” he said.

The campaigners hope to keep their plan going through advertisement revenue. Also these bags will be available at discounted rates. They plan to expand the programme to other parts of the city based on the response from Domlur shoppers in the next 45 days.

“About two-and-a-half lakh bags will be made available in medium and petty shops in Domlur, for the time being. More bags will be made available based on the demand,” he said.

Sadashivaiah said the programme could not be a permanent solution to plastic menace.

“This measure can only be an interim one. On the one hand, we’ve the ban on the use of plastic bags that are below 40 microns. On the other hand, we’re encouraging the multiple use of this plastic bag, which is much above the required 40 microns. By making sure that there is a value attached to the bag, it also encourages proper disposal of the bag,” he said.

When asked why they were going for plastic bags instead of paper or cloth bags, Tota said: “The carbon footprint caused from the manufacture of cloth and paper bags is much more than in the case of plastic bags.”

“The only disadvantage with this system is in discarding the plastic which we are trying to address,” he said.