Hawkers and street vendors in Shillong have decided to stop using plastic bags and will instead use cloth bags and encourage customers to bring their own.
General Secretary of the Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association, Shane Thabah, informed reporters today that plastic pollution is unsustainable, with bags clogging drains, which can lead to localised flooding during the monsoon season.
Customers can help reduce plastic waste by bringing their own bags and if they do not have one on hand, the hawkers will sell them bags made from recycled cloth or other material for Rs 15.
“We have taken this step of switching to cloth bags in order to prevent pollution as plastics, being non-biodegradable waste, pose a great threat to the environment, especially water bodies” Thabah said.