VIJAYAWADA: The decision to ban single-use plastic across Vijayawada has evoked mixed response from the public.
The people who run small-time food joints, curry points and snack centres have voiced against the implementation of ban when there is no affordable alternative available.
Krishna district officials have taken the decision to implement the ban across the city, from the second week of August. According to the officials, nearly 150 tonnes of single-use plastic is generated in the city everyday.
With the ban in place, waste generation will halt. But, the shop owners feel it will affect their business.
B Sai Kumar, who runs a curry point in Suryaraopet said, “At first, they banned plastic bags. Now, we use cloth bags to supply meals. A mini-meal costs Rs 50, for which we supply carry bags, each worth Rs 3, leaving us with only Rs 5 as profit. There is, in fact, no economic alternative to this other than customers bringing their own boxes.”
K Srinivas, who runs a roadside tiffin centre, agrees. “As of now, we are using plastic instead of banana leaves for packing food. We get 100 plastic sheets for Rs 30 and if we stop using them, we will have to spend Rs 150 for hundred banana leaves.
For cost-cutting, we will have to increase the price of food items. We might lose customers as a result. There should be an alternative present before imposing a ban.”
Speaking to TNIE, Krishna district collector Md Imtiaz said, “We have decided to implement the ban and we will also take queries and suggestions from the public into account. As alternatives, cotton, cloth, paper bags will be made available.”