Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) may have declared that single-use plastic items will not be used from July 1, but, in many parts of Bengaluru, citizens as well as retail vendors, especially hawkers, are not aware of the ban. While pharmacists and big departmental store-owners are lauding the environment-friendly decision, small-scale retailers are counting the loss they have to incur due to the ban.
Venkatesh, who runs a medical store, said, “I’m very happy with this decision. It’ll help the environment restore itself, and animals can live freely and happy. This is a good decision since plastic is not reusable.”
However, among hawkers, the search for an alternative is a cause of worry, as paper or cloth bags cost more than plastic carry bags.
