BENGALURU: Environmentalists, in collaboration with the BBMP, have launched an initiative to minimise the use of plastic by distributing cloth bags and placards to vendors across the city, warning them of a Rs 500 fine for plastic use, all in a bid to encourage customers to bring their own cloth bags.
For this, the activists partnered with small-scale wholesale cloth bag sellers to supply vendors with bags in two sizes. Street vendors and pushcart businesses have been asked to charge extra for the bags, allowing them to earn additional income, while reminding buyers to carry their own bags.
The campaign aims to address the economic pressures faced by street vendors, who rely on cheap plastic bags to retain customers. Activists observed that several vendors fear losing customers if they refuse to provide bags, and plastic bags are the cheapest option. The vendors spend Rs 1,500-3,000 a month on plastic bags, a loss they cannot afford. The campaign aims to shift this dynamic by connecting vendors with wholesale suppliers of cloth bags, available at a cost of Rs 4 for a small bag and Rs 7 for a larger one. Vendors are encouraged to sell these bags at Rs 5 and Rs 10, making a small profit on each sale. The initiative not only eliminates the cost of plastic bags, but also provides vendors with an additional income stream.
Speaking with TNIE, Odette Katrak, Co-founder of Beautiful Bharat and a resident of Domlur, mentioned that to ensure uniformity, all vendors were given placards displaying the message “Carry Your Own Bag or Pay for a Bag”, along with the BBMP logo, empowering them to inform customers of the new policy without confrontation.
During the launch, health inspectors, BBMP officials, marshals, volunteers, and residents visited about 80 vendors around Domlur to explain the campaign, distributing the placards and an initial stock of 20 cloth bags to each vendor, at free of cost.
To reinforce compliance, residents are encouraged to report any violations via a WhatsApp group, with fines of Rs 500 imposed on non-compliant vendors, starting from Thursday.