Why sell in plastic bags? Vendors prioritise cost over environment

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Chandigarh: Despite repeated warnings and enforcement drives by the administration and municipal corporation, vendors at Sector 26 grain, vegetable, and fruit market continue to use plastic bags for selling their goods. The reason isn't defiance, but affordability –
eco-friendly alternatives
are often too costly for them.
Paper, cloth, or jute bags are sustainable alternatives, but their cost is several times higher than plastic. For vendors earning marginal daily incomes, switching to paper bags seems economically unviable. Also, customers often arrive without their own bags, putting extra pressure on sellers to provide one.
Gopi Kishan, a fruit seller, said, "There used to be a godown in the market that sold cloth and eco bags, but it shut down a few years ago. I used to sell in cloth bags, but these have been discontinued. A fine of Rs 2,500 is charged for using plastic bags, and I have been penalised by the authorities twice."
Omkar, who has been selling vegetables in the market for six years, said, "The government organises camps every two months and provides cloth and biodegradable bags at subsidised rates. However, these are still more expensive than plastic bags, so most vendors opt for plastic bags."
Frequent raids and penalties do not seem enough to deter vendors from using plastic bags. "Even though authorities raid the mandi and impose fines on shopkeepers using plastic bags, most vendors still avoid using paper bags because such bags cannot hold the weight of heavy vegetables," said Danish, a vegetable seller.
Another vendor, Kuldeep Kumar, a fruit seller, said, "We have to run away in minutes when officials raid the area. They take all the plastic bags and even the carts. Since most shopkeepers use plastic bags, even if we try to bring a change, we cannot individually change the majority's viewpoint on plastic."
However, there are some who have found a business and calling in replacing plastic bags with other material carry bags. Suresh, a sac bag seller, said, "I have been selling sac bags for the last five years and have seen many people using plastic bags in the market. To make a change, I sell sac bags to customers who come here to buy fruits and vegetables. If the vendors asked for them, I would be more than happy to sell them in bulk, as it would bring a change in society."

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