Super markets pollute Bangalore for free

Defying the norm set by the civic body -- to charge for plastic bags given out to customers and explain to them the reason why they are being made to pay -- major stores in the city provide it for free, thus adding to the non-biodegradable waste

Super markets pollute Bangalore for free

Farce: Though stores claim that they provide only eco-friendly plastic
bags, their assertion is misleading. Most the polythene bags do not
recycle under normal atmospheric conditions and require special
industrial composting methods to degrade. Representation pic

Only some care
A visit to several well-known super markets and bazaars in the city revealed the rule being ignored. "The basic reason why the 40 micron rule was introduced was to make plastic carry bags reusable, worthwhile to collect or retrieve for recycling and available for an explicitly stated charge, rather than for free," Karnataka Pollution Control Board environmental officer Kumaraswamy said.u00a0BBMP's enforcement has had some stores give these bags for a price. The HOPCOMS outlets are giving out standard size plastic bags of 12" x 10" for just Re 1. Similarly, Safal outlets collect Re 1 for a small plastic carry bag and Rs 2 for a bigger one.

"We are giving plastic carry bags free of cost just like other outlets in the city. However, we advise people to bring their own bags along while shopping," said Munikumar, store manager of a well-established super store.u00a0 When pointed to the specifics of the rule he said, "It is all about 40 microns thickness. Some outlets are charging for carry bags, but we do not." A check revealed that Karnataka Milk Federation Dairy outlets in the city do not give out any type of plastic bag. People are quite happy to take their own bags along when buying milk and dairy products from these outlets.

"If shops and stores continue to give out free or low-priced plastic bags, it defeats the very purpose of the notification, which was intended to curb the use of such bags and regulate their collection/ retrieval. After all, a thicker bag like the 40 micron one is an environmental hazard, as it would take much longer time to degrade compared to thinner bags of 20 and 30 microns, which were in circulation earlier," green activist Naveena Kamath said.

Join the jawans
"The Army Canteens in the city have managed without plastic carry bags since the beginning. People just bring their own bags and recruits and jawans are often seen carrying all their purchases in hand, minus bags of any type. These campuses have the least amount of plastic bags in their garbage dumps, and consequently no issues with clogging and flooding of drains. Similarly, defence campuses such as the DRDO and LRDE in CV Raman Nagar have completely banned the use of plastic bags in shops on their campuses way back in September 2010," Kamath added

Eco hazards
"Some stores are giving out biodegradable or compostable plastic bags. Such labels are misleading. It must be brought to the notice of the public that most of these bags do not bio-degrade under normal atmospheric conditions, but require special industrial composting methods with enzymes and oxygenation by feeder pipes to degrade. I have seen such bags do not decompose even after being buried for five months," she added.

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