Remember back in March of 2013 when the city of Austin banned the use of single use carry bags and one had to pay $1 or $2 to get the carry bags? I am seeing a similar initiative in Mysore, India. If you shop in the major stores like Sapna Book House, More and Shoppers Stop at the end of your shopping you will be asked the question “Do you need a carry bag?” if you say “yes” then be prepared to cough out any where between INR 1 to INR 5. Pretty cool and nice idea but not a major impact as this value is not shared by lot of the smaller stores which makes a lion share of the stores in India. Also, in my opinion INR 1 to INR 5 is not that big for the people who shop at these locations.
The kicker was when we went to Karanji Lake, a state owned lake and nature park. At the entrance they inspected our bags and took out our “one time use plastic carry bags” and replaced them with paper bags. More about the Lake nature park at some point in the future.
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There is something very interesting in some national parks. They check the number of plastic water/beverage bottles in your car when you enter the park and you need to show them that many bottles when you exit! There is another scheme. You pay a deposit (around Rs.20 per bottle) when you take them in.. you get your money back if you bring bottles out :-)
The challenge is at local kirana stores. Even though plastic carrybags thinner than 40 microns are banned, you find them everywhere.
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