FW: Say 'No' to Plastic Bags !

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Rajesh Krishnamurthy

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Apr 1, 2008, 5:52:12 AM4/1/08
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From: Hemalatha Palanivelu
Posted At: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 3:05 PM
Posted To: KEC General
Conversation: Say 'No' to Plastic Bags !
Subject: Say 'No' to Plastic Bags !
 

Venugopal, Your reply would have brought memories of childhood for many of them. Even in my days, mom used to give those yellow cloth bags when I go to shop which I would refuse to take and I used to search for a plastic bag, but wouldn't find one and finally end up taking my lunch bag for shopping too. Now it is the other way round, where I find only plastic carry bags and couldn't find cloth bags and where I have now started telling her to take cloth bags.

 

While discussing on this topic yesterday, one of my project mates who had already started getting rid of these plastic bags stated an incident. In his native, they found there was some hindrance in flow of water to the fields and when they dug  to a certain depth to pave way for the same, they found lots of plastic covers which were lying there which haven't decomposed and was also one of the cause of flow of water to the fields.

 

And like the way you had stated most of them are packed in plastic material due to its benefits. That is the reason I had raised a question if there was any replacement for the same, but haven't got any answers till now, may be nothing is invented similar to benefits that plastic invention has provided. We are talking here on plastic bags for the reasons that it is something which is manufactured in abundance since the demand is abundant. That demand is created by none other than me, you and whoever feels it as convenient to use though "there are alternatives". And it is something in the control of each individual which will be a contribution for the planet.

 

I thought this Infy BB, which reaches many number of people, will be one of the ways of creating this awareness/mindset and hence this post. After seeing Pranab Nayak's reply where he mentioned that he started using Jute bags after seeing this post, it was great to know that the Mission is already ON.

 

Cheers,

Hema

 

“There is no service nobler than doing something nice for someone who will never find it out ! ”

 

From: Venugopala M.G. Rao
Posted At: Monday, March 31, 2008 3:11 PM
Posted To: KEC General
Conversation: Say 'No' to Plastic Bags !
Subject: Say 'No' to Plastic Bags !
 

Nothing....

 

It is just that we keep changing ourselves according to how things change..Something that comes in the benefit of mankind in initial stages turns to bane in later times..

 

I remember during our school days, we had the 20L odd square oil cans (aluminium ones) as dustbin at our home. Sometimes it used to be earthen pots or carboard stuff...Dump everything into that and then take it and dump into the nearby dustbin. No plastic bags as far as i remember.

For milk, it used to be supplied in bottles and near my home there used to be a mother diary chilling plant where i would carry a steel vessel or a milk can (steel) and the guy used to hit one button and it used to pour 1L of milk...sometimes he would pour via the measuring can.

Same for curds, oil or any other liquid.

Shampoo, antisecptic used to come in glass bottles. Antiseptic comes in glass bottles these days but shampoo in all kinds of plastic.

 

We have just plastic-ized our life and we think we cant live without it.

 

The main point however is it is very cheap to make those plastic bags, sachets, bottles etc when compared to glass/steel and so those in circulation. Is water repellant, durable, strong and tough so could be used for transportation with less care.

 

Now why would anybody take the trouble of taking a bag from house? Also are you saying No to the plastic sachets of oil, pickles, flour, ghee, plastic covers to CDs, plastic twine to hang clothes, plastic holder for broom, plastic brush, plastic dustbin and many other things...

 

Just a "No-No" to plastic bag at the cash counter doesnt help...but yes it could be the beginning of the "No-plastic" journey.

 

Recently i read it takes 500+ years for plastic to degrade into the basic components and decompose into soil as one of its constituents.

 

From: Vinutha D. S.
Posted At: Monday, March 31, 2008 2:47 PM
Posted To: KEC General
Conversation: Say 'No' to Plastic Bags !
Subject: Say 'No' to Plastic Bags !

What to use for Dust Bins ?

 

From: Hemalatha Palanivelu
Posted At: Monday, March 31, 2008 2:40 PM
Posted To: KEC General
Conversation: Say 'No' to Plastic Bags !
Subject: Say 'No' to Plastic Bags !
 

True Mekhala, I had logged about reducing the usage of Plastic bags in their complaint register, but no action taken. Reason being that people are not aware of what I was talking about. That is the reason I just do whatever I can contribute by taking my own shopping cloth bag J. I think I will have to take some more steps to meet up with the Manager of the store and discuss on the same and especially insist on charging on plastic carry bags provided.

 

And Suraj, you have justified the wordings “Nothing is impossible” and “Where there is a will, there is a way” J. Now I hope Subramanian would have got ways on how he can be as an example to others.

 

Plastic bags have been part and parcel of our day-to-day activity and so even I am able to get rid of it only at a slow pace. To replace the plastic bags in all these shops, haven’t scientists done any research on finding a material similar to plastic bags but which is decomposable unlike plastic bags ! Or is there anything already which I am not aware of ?!? Can anyone enlighten me/us on the same?

 

From: Suraj Garg
Posted At: Friday, March 28, 2008 3:42 PM
Posted To: KEC General
Conversation: Say 'No' to Plastic Bags !
Subject: Say 'No' to Plastic Bags !
 

You are referring to a scenario in a Super Market/Hyper Market. A suggestion for the below mentioned situation is this.

 

Leave your personal bag with the security, and after billing carry the basket/cart upto the security and use the personal bag to carry the groceries.

 

Suraj Garg

Infosys Technologies Ltd.

Bangalore, India

Extn - 62251

From: Subramanian, Infosys
Posted At: Friday, March 28, 2008 3:39 PM
Posted To: KEC General
Conversation: Say 'No' to Plastic Bags !
Subject: Say 'No' to Plastic Bags !
 

Sounds good but practically not feasible. After the billing is made, the stores ensure that they put a tag around the plastic bag so that it cannot be opened and shop lifters don’t frisk away goodies from the shelf. If there is an alternate work around for this, then we can convince the store keeper to use our bag.

 

From: Mekhala_Govinda
Posted At: Friday, March 28, 2008 3:17 PM
Posted To: KEC General
Conversation: Say 'No' to Plastic Bags !
Subject: Say 'No' to Plastic Bags !

 

Totally agree! Also the shops should charge for each plastic bag that they give as carry bag… automatically people will get bags from home!

 

From: Hemalatha Palanivelu
Posted At: Friday, March 28, 2008 3:02 PM
Posted To: KEC General
Conversation: Say 'No' to Plastic Bags !
Subject: Say 'No' to Plastic Bags !
 

This is for people like me who care about our planet and wanted to join hands in just saying No to plastic bags! I started writing the below post not able to withstand seeing loads and loads and loads and loads of plastic bags floating around the store for carrying groceries (famous store, didn’t want to mention the name, since it is a common issue everywhere) during my weekend groceries shopping.

 

How many of us hear news about global warming and have left it to the other people in the globe than taking self initiatives? If you are one of those people with a mind set that social service people, institutions like Infy, volunteers will take care of, then here is a chance to change that mind set. There is no need to form associations and groups and committees to start with it. You can start it right from your own house. Wondering how to do that!?! Just you need to remember to take your own cloth shopper bag before you step out of your house to do your groceries shopping ! Thats all you need to do, the rest will follow without you requiring to do anything....

 

  • The shop guy fills your cloth bag - That way he thinks he saves his plastic bags
  • You lead as an example to your own kids and others - Another person in the billing queue asks you the reason and finds the good cause and he too brings his cloth shopper bag the next day, and that person is questioned by another person, and so on...
  • The store manager doesn't buy plastic bags since everyone comes to his store with their own shopping bags
  • And finally there becomes no necessity for the plastic bag manufactures to manufacture or supply them.

 

I know, myself or people who think this way are not dreaming of this change / realization to happen in a single day, but I am confident that it will change if I / you today take this step. Also I know it is difficult initially for people/me who got used to go free hand to these stores, but if you think yourselves on the good cause that you are contributing to save the planet, I am sure it will not look difficult ! I have started to remember this whenever I go out for shopping and switching off the PC, which are 2 out of the 51 ways given in the below link to slow global warming. Have you?!?! 

 

Courtesy - http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/environment

Can one person slow global warming? Sure! You, along with scientists, businesses and governments, can create paths to cut carbon emissions. The plastic bags you bring home from the supermarket probably end up in a landfill. Every year, more than 500 billion plastic bags are distributed, and less than 3% of those bags are recycled. They are typically made of polyethylene and can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade in landfills that emit harmful greenhouse gases. Reducing your contribution to plastic-bag pollution is as simple as using a cloth bag (or one made of biodegradable plant-based materials) instead of wasting plastic ones.

 

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