Bengaluru: As the BBMP has intensified its drive against banned plastics, citizens and traders demand that the government provide cost-effective and eco-friendly solutions to plastics.
They want the BBMP to hold awareness campaigns and educate people on the alternatives. They suggest that the BBMP can also provide employment opportunities to women self-help groups in manufacturing like jute bags, paper bags etc, which are eco-friendly.
When the Tamil Nadu government banned single-use plastics, it simultaneously provided solutions that were not only eco-friendly, but also cost-effective. Meat vendors started packing their meat in palm leaf baskets and plantain leaves, said Mr Ravi Kumar, an assistant professor at a private college.
He said that similar awareness drives are necessary to contain the plastic menace. Once officials stop this present drive, illegal plastics will enter the market again, he said.
Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun said that she has called a meeting in August which will have traders, solid waste management experts and manufacturers to find a solution to single-use plastics.
“We are now seizing only carry bags. By August, we hope to find a solution to replace plastics and popularise it by taking the necessary steps,” she said.
