mumbai

Updated: Jun 28, 2018 10:59 IST

From cloth bags to steel containers, Mumbai seems to have found ways to deal with the plastic ban imposed four days ago.

A case in point could be the Dadar Market, where people are now seen carrying vegetables and groceries in cloth bags. In meat and fish markets, too, buyers are seen carrying steel and plastic containers.

“Nowadays, I carry a cloth bag whenever I step out,” said Asha Maurya, a homemaker. “Earlier, I always carried a plastic bag to buy fruits on my way back home. I have replaced it with a cloth one,” said Swati Patil, a working professional from Mulund.

“Some items can be managed, but retail shopping is the biggest hassle. Items such as rice and pulses need a plastic bag,” said Jenifer Jagatha, a school teacher.

Avinash Koska, an entrepreneur who lives in Colaba, said, “We have dedicated grocery bags and as far as meat goes, we usually buy packaged, frozen products. We have replaced PET bottles with metal ones. But it is too early to say. Maybe within the next few days, more problems will surface. Right now the biggest issue is lack of clarity, most importantly on garbage bags.”

Some have now turned to grocery shopping apps. “Earlier, I used the grocery shopping app once or twice in a few months, but after the ban, I have used it twice in four days,” said Satyaprakash Sharma, 29, computer engineer, who works in Andheri MIDC.

The switch hasn’t been easy for many. “I am unable to take food parcels. They wrap chapatis in a paper and give vegetables in foil containers. This is quite inconvenient,” said Avinash Pandey, a mediaperson from Andheri, who has been alone living in Mumbai for the past 15 years.

The confusion, and not the ban, is the biggest problem for many.

Chitra Kamble, a homemaker who lives in Elphinstone, said, “Some pamphlets given in our building said even plastic water bottles are banned. How are we supposed to give water to our kids?”

“Explaining the issue to our help has been the biggest problem. At times, we use cloth bags for wet waste. When we go to restaurants, we can’t get parcels back home as carrying tin containers is cumbersome,” Jigna Kotak, 48, a special educator who lives in Girgaum.