Kandivli women campaign for ban on use of plastic

In a bid to free their area of plastic menace, Inseed, a group of 20 homemakers from Thakur Village, Kandivli, have been promoting the use of paper and cloth bags among the residents and shopkeepers in the locality for more than a year.

In a bid to free their area of plastic menace, Inseed, a group of 20 homemakers from Thakur Village, Kandivli, have been promoting the use of paper and cloth bags among the residents and shopkeepers in the locality for more than a year. Drawing inspiration from their efforts, a group of women from Lokhandwala, Kandivli, too started the initiative in their locality recently.

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Inseed ensures that the newspapers from the area are collected in a carton placed near one of the buildings in the locality. These newspapers are then sent to a group of 10 women from the nearby slum who have been trained in making paper bags. “The bags are then sold to the shopkeepers,” said Dr Shaheen Desai, member, Inseed.

Taking note of their efforts, many shops in the area have started using paper bags. “We provide only paper bags to our customers. We also convince them to refrain from using plastic bags,” said Kishore Sahejrao, manager, The Chemist Shoppe.

“With the money that I earn from making these bags, I can contribute to my family income,” said Sarita Patil, a resident of Janupada slum who makes paper bags.

Fast food joints, sweet marts and stationery shops in the locality too are now supportive of their eco-friendly campaign. “We go to different shops daily and insist that the shopkeepers use paper or cloth bags. After the initial resistance, most understand the idea behind the move. They also make the customers aware about the plastic menace,” said Sangita Shirname, co-founder, Inseed.

“Supermarkets and malls too have started charging customers for the plastic bags. This is a good step. It’s time we understand the hazards of using plastic,” said Desai.