At B.T.M. Layout, residents resolve to say no to plastic

It was a weekend for citizens to make as well as break serious vows against minimising plastic use. On Saturday, several residents and shopkeepers of B.T.M. Layout were egged on by environment activists to take an oath to avoid plastic use. This was after a ‘walkathon’ by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) representatives and many citizens’ groups, accompanied by the local MLA.

Close to 39,000 residents, including shop owners, agreed to voluntarily ban all use of plastic.

But what promised to be a great start, turned out to be a damp squib. Shopkeepers and traders admitted they couldn’t make the switch immediately, as they had to make alternative arrangements. The new tentative deadline is February 20.

“Customers buy a puff for Rs. 10 and do not mind paying an extra Rs. 2 for a plastic bag. If I don’t give the bag, I risk losing the customer to the next bakery. I will make alternate arrangements by February 20,” said Hari, who owns a bakery in the neighbourhood.

Shanthi Choudry, a member of the Solid Waste Management Round Table, who has been spearheading the campaign, said, “We just need to provide them alternatives and convince them that they will not have to spend more if they stop using plastic.”

Other initiatives

A similar effort was initiated in Puttenahalli, where waste management experts tried to convince traders to reduce plastic usage. “Half the city’s garbage problems will be solved if the use of plastic is minimised; but for this to happen, citizens must cooperate,” said N.S. Ramakanth, waste management expert, who added that close to 500 people had volunteered.

With waste management becoming crucial for the city’s health, it is no surprise that the elected representatives are chipping in and doing their bit to create awareness, not just about plastic ban but also about the need to segregate waste at source.

“I was asked to appeal to shopkeepers and I did this by telling them that a complete plastic ban is in the works, and that they would find it easier if they were to begin now than wait for it to become compulsory,” said Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who represented BTM Layout Assembly constituency.