Amritsar residents shrug off reliance on single-use plastic items

Amritsar, July 18

With the government banning the use of single-use plastic items and the local administration making efforts to implement the orders, a change seems to have ushered in as a section of shopkeepers has already stopped giving plastic bags.

Citing the ban, these shopkeepers are requesting the customers to bring a cloth bag or carry the purchased items themselves. Local fruit and vegetable venders too are reluctant in defying the ban fearing heavy penalty that could be imposed by the authorities.

The residents too are slowly trying to inculcate the habit of carrying a cloth bag to the markets.

Sanjeet Kaur, a homemaker, said: “It feels odd presently but it is a matter of few days. Our parents used to carry a bag when they went out around 30-40 years ago as plastic was not much in fashion in those days.” She said she too had purchased cloth bags for bringing grocery, fruits and vegetables from the market.

Residents stated banning single-use plastic is a good decision and it should be implemented strictly. They stated that polythene bags and other items which have been banned could easily be replaced with other biodegradable alternatives.

Another resident Sumit Sharma said: “Majority of the plastic waste is caused by empty bottles of cold drink, water and soda and the government should do something about this too.” He added that not long ago, there used to be glass bottles for milk, cold drink and soda. “During those times, one would give the empty bottles back to the shopkeeper and get new ones,” he said adding that government should promote glass bottles and restrict use of plastic bottles.

Banned products

• Ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration
• Plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packaging film around sweet boxes, invitation cards and cigarette packets; plastic or PVC banners of less than 100 micron, stirrers.
• (According to rule 4(2) of the PWM Rules, 2016 (as amended), the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of the above-mentioned single-use plastic items, including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene commodities, is prohibited with effect from July 1, 2022)