The first campaign 'Say no to plastics' by Green Commandos at BDA complex, HSR layout, Bangalore drew a healthy number of volunteers from the Green Commando community in Bangalore. I was not a part of the first and was only too eager to be a part of the second upcoming campaign.
After the cancellation of the second week campaign due to insufficient volunteers for Total Mall, Sarjapur, left our boss, Ravi Agnihotri no choice but to pick up smaller retail outlets. After much consideration we picked M. K. Ahmed Super Market in HSR layout, close to the first campaign's venue, HSR BDA complex.
Me, Mukesh, Amar and Aditya assembled at M K Ahmed at around 11.15am. After waiting for few more minutes we realized no more volunteers are to come and decided to jump into the campaigning. Obtaining permission from the owner of the Super Market, we set up our banners such that it was visible to the incoming crowd to the Super Market. After much haggling, the Super Market people lent us a small table and several empty Carton boxes so that we could place our display items to the public.
We had around 100 cloth bags which we purchased from Sahaas org., with Green Commandos logo on it. These bags were out for sale for Rs 35/- each. We also placed 2 Jute bags and several paper bags for purely display reasons.
Our initial interaction with the customers immediately made us realise that nobody was willing to pay 35 bucks for the bag, we quickly reduced the costs to Rs 20/- per bag, at a loss which we decided to break up between the 4 of us and supplement. After all the motive of the campaign was not to make a bussiness of selling bags, but to wake up people to the hazards of using plastic bags.
Owning to time constraints and a very hot afternoon we decided to pack up in an hour. At first we interacted with people whom we caught staring at us and reading the banner to people who were leaving the Market with plastic bags loaded with merchandice to people who were entering the super market. We decided that its better we stop them from getting plastic bags before they enter in. That way we would have (atleast for that day) reduced so many plastic bags usage and sold our bags too!
One couple who bought the bag from us, promptly used them at the Super market and happily posed for a snap! We sold as many as 10-12 bags that bag and got a lot more to listen to our plea and gave us their e-mail ids to send them promotional mails.
We had many a cold shoulder response, but we, the warriors of our dear Mother Earth were undaunted and unruffled. We continued picking unwary customers and questioned their conscience about plastic usage.
Many of us are aware of the mal effects plastics have on our environment.We know plastics disintegrate and enter our food chain poisoning our system, We know that the poor innocent birds and animals unaware of plastics, mistake them for food or atleast something that will pass their disgestive system fall victims to a slow and agonizing death. We see our backyards and roads littered with the plastic waste and know how it has come there. We, the new generation of Science are well educated and keep ourselves updated with all the information that comes by. And yet sadly all that information grasped is used as much as the daily chit-chats on the newspaper. Knowing is not enough. What the present demands of you is to 'ACT'.
People when confronted, told us almost at all times that they do have cloth bags. And everytime I smiled at them, glanced at the heaving plastic bags cradled in their arms and asked them, 'Is that so?', 'Why is at home when you are out shopping?'. I din't want to be rude to anyone, but we need to make people understand the need to wake up and make one small change in their lifestyles. Carrying a small easy to fit cloth bag is not much of burden, It hardly weighs 50gms. One elderly lady was telling us that we can't expect her, a ripe old woman to carry such burden. Well, I leave it to you people to decide how heavy and what sort of burden a 50gm bag is!!
I had one eventful encounter with a young man who almost stood his ground, up in arms against us. His very often repeated line was 'We are not stupid, We know all this!!'. Yes sir, you are very smart indeed! That exactly is the difference that Aamir keeps repeating in '3 idiots' right? Don just read and say you know, show us what you know!! Imbibe that knowledge in your lives. We almost came to blows when he said that he chooses not to show-off like us! My blood boiled over and yet I kept my cool. He insisted that we are not tackling the basic problem which according to him is that, the Retailers ought not to tempt the public with buying plastic bags. Its like they are holding a tasty carrot at our faces and we poor innocent weaklings succumb to this deadly tempatation. I felt so very sorry for him and asked him, 'Don't you think the problem lies with the attitude of the people?' After all man is priced above all the wonderful creatures of nature for his intelligence. One moment he says that we are smart and other moment he has completely contradicted himself and declared the majority i.e., the consumers as dumb!!
The point of narrating the above incidences was not to add comic releif or to fuel personal prejudices, but to address a few of the thought process of people when it comes to plastic. Lets not blame each other, we all are responsible toward our Earth, we have only one planet. Lets respect and appreciate her. Lets not pollute her but enrich her. Together we can! Stop using avoidable plastics! Carry a cloth bag where ever you go! 'SAY NO TO PLASTICS!' Join us in our endeavour to reduce plastic usage across Bangalore. Log in to http://www.greencommandos.com become a member, join a project near home.
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