India, Sept. 25 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
For Vita resident Mumtaz Raju Sayyed, the change is practical: "With the Thaila ATM, I can now get a cloth bag, which makes carrying my shopping easy."
Over a decade ago, walking through an Indian market, a purchase often came with a plastic bag, commonly called polythene. These bags carried vegetables, clothes, food and countless other purchases.
Today, markets across the country are increasingly becoming plastic-free. Many shoppers carry a cloth bag from home. A shopkeeper offers a reusable alternative. Residents segregate dry and wet waste at home. Plastic collected from households travels to a recovery centre instead of a dumpsite. Some of it may eventually return as a ...