Earlier today, while scrolling through my Facebook feed, I came across an image with a message that encapsulated the irony of modern shopping.
It humorously highlighted a familiar scenario: after filling your cart with groceries tightly wrapped in plastic — everything from sliced ham to mustard — you reach the checkout only to be told that plastic bags are harmful to the environment. The contradiction couldn’t be more absurd.
This got me thinking about how things were when I was younger. Accompanying my mother to the local Marwadi or Komati (Vysya) shop for weekly provisions was routine. There were no plastic bags back then. Every item was packed in either brown paper bags or wrapped in newspaper, tied with string, and carefully placed in a gunny or cloth sack.
If we couldn’t carry it all, a shop hand would deliver it home, expecting no more than a small tip. It was a simple, sustainable system — plastic-free and guilt-free.
Recyclable alternatives
Fast forward to today, and we’re paying extra for ‘eco-friendly’ alternatives while the shelves remain dominated by plastic packaging. The burden of environmental responsibility has shifted squarely onto the consumer.
Amid this, manufacturers and retailers continue to profit from both the products and their excessive packaging. What happened to the practical, recyclable alternatives of a generation ago?
Toothpaste came in aluminum tubes, oils, and beauty products were sold in glass bottles and jars, and talcum powder or cold creams in tin, aluminum, or hard paper containers. Milk was delivered in reusable glass bottles with foil lids. Even pain relief balms like Amrutanjan and Zinda Tilismath, an herbal medicine used to treat common ailments such as colds, coughs, headaches, and toothache, came in tiny glass jars. Soda, Coke, and beer bottles were routinely returned for petty cash — more than just a transaction, it was part of an effortless cycle of reuse and recycling.
Rewards
So why have we moved away from these sustainable practices? Instead of simply charging for bags at checkout, why aren’t we reconsidering the entire packaging process? If retailers and manufacturers are genuinely concerned about the environment, they should look back at what once worked. Reusable and recyclable materials weren’t just environmentally friendly — they were the norm. Perhaps it’s time to make them so again.
Finally, this isn’t just about paying for a paper or plastic carry bag. Does paying for a plastic bag serve the intended purpose? Shouldn’t stores also reward shoppers who bring their own jute or cloth bags? It’s time to rethink our consumption habits and find a balance between convenience and sustainability. Because, while we might save a plastic bag here or there, the planet continues to bear the cost of our everyday indulgences.
