Two Mumbai families take up SMD's challenge to go plastic-free for two weeks

Roy and Jalihal are looking for a greener alternative to plastic bin bags PicsSameer MarkandePooja Sinha Roy32 and Amrutha Jalihal 24Residents of Yari RoadTheir challengeFinding an alternative to cat food plastic bags and bin linersCutting down on plastic containers in the houseBrand consultant Pooja Sinha Roy and flatmate educator Amrutha Jalihal live in a cosy 2 BHK apartment at Yari Road with four cats and two dogs Both hail from Bengaluru one of the 18 states that imposed a blanket ban on the use sale and manufacturing of plastic back in 2016 Having been there done that the duo is more conscious about plastic consumption than most In fact Roy collects plastic once a month and sends it to an excolleague who then sends it to a Pune organisation that recycles it and produces industrial fuel She now plans to connect with Dombivlis Urjaa Foundation an NGO that encourages residents to deposit their household plastic waste with them for recyclingWhile we are trying to eradicate plastic from our lives little by little the purchase of certain items are inevitable For instance when we orderin most food deliveries come in plastic dabbas We try to reuse them says Jalihal While the dogs are fed homemade food cat kibble comes in plastic packets Theres also a plastic tray for their litter Its advisable to not flush it down the toilet as its highly absorbent and will clog the septic system adds Roy When you look around the house the visible signs of plastic include the bin liner a few plastic containers for storing masalas and daily essentials and the range of toiletriesJalihal with the dabbas that she and Roy hope to cut down onA yearandahalf ago at Roys insistence the society tried to segregate waste by installing separate dustbins for wet and dry garbage However Roy rues that it didnt pan out as envisionedThe person picking up the garbage would ultimately dump everything in one container So you need to educate people on how to go about it says Roy Back in Bengaluru Jalihal recalls a mandatory Sunday activity where residents would come together and create compost with the biodegradable waste which was then used as fertiliser for the plants When I came to Mumbai I realised people lack that sense of ownership she saysBoth however vociferously support the plastic ban I think the ban will force people to get more conscious about their plastic usage and think about the little things What I also know is that it wont be costeffective So the question that is staring me in the face is what are the viable alternatives says RoyWhy they want to join this campaign I recently attended a programme on urban sustainable development in Singapore where the focus was on the grave threat of plastic pollution This campaign being timely will just push me to become a responsible citizen says JalihalThe Creados mdash Sandra Reagan and Colin mdash hope to buy meat without plastic bags PicsPrdaeep DhivarThe Creados Sandra 62 Reagan 37 and Colin 71Residents of JuhuTheir challengePlasticfree storage of vegetables fish and meatsUsing environmentallyfriendly bin bagsGetting rid of plastic garden potsWhen we meet the Creado family on a late weekday morning at their seafacing Juhu bungalow Reagans mum Sandra 62 has just returned from the fish market with several plastic packets of fish Even as she stocks the fish inside the refrigerator Sandra talks of how guilty she feels each time she returns home with so much plastic I have been looking for those hard plastic reusable market bags but I was told that they dont make them anymore says Sandra whose son Reagan switched from corporate communications to organic farming and has been trying to inculcate green living at home Forty years ago if we went to buy fish we carried that hard plastic bag which was then washed and dried for use again We never stored fish in plastic containers or packets because we didnt have freezers and this meant that we ate everything fresh she saysReagan hopes to bring in ceramic and clay pots and find a solution for plastic packagingWith the entry of plastic mdash Sandra recalls the first time she got a duty free plastic bag from a trip abroad and how fascinated everyone was mdash and better storage facilities daily market trips turned into a weekly chore and for a long time Sandra believed life had become easier This changed after they started noticing mounds of plastic wash ashore Weve seen a dreadful amount of waste pumped out from the nullahs into the sea which gets dumped on the shore says Reagan also an authorised rescue person for green mammals and turtles The only way to end this is to use less plasticOn his behalf Reagan carries his own plate spoon cup and glass straw when hes out At food courts I request them to serve me in my plate he says In the course of the next few days he also intends to get rid of all the plastic pots in the gardenHis father Colin who describes himself as environmentallyfocussed uses only cloth bags and has completely ditched plastic bottles at home We use recycled glass bottles and jars says ColinThe Creados however still want to get down to zero plastic use Disposing of garbage in plastic bags is currently an issue says Reagan though they have dug pits in their garden to compost vegetableWhy they want to join this campaign Going plasticfree requires a lot of courage and initially one is always reluctant says Colin adding But we have to take things upon ourselves The movement has started and we should not wait to be told or fined or to get a notice