No more plastic bags in shops – L’Express

Name of article: No more plastic bags in shops

Name of journalist: Michel Chui Chun Lam

Name of Publication: L’Express

Date: 13 September 2012

Country: Mauritius

Skills: Perspective

Theme: Environment

Genre: News

Gem Classification: Gender aware

Description:

‘The environment is everyone’s concern’, says Madhvi Dabysingn, store owner of veema collection, specializing in clothing and accessories. ‘In India they are already using biodegradable bags, so why not in Mauritius?’ she asked herself. It is in this spirit that she began importing biodegradable and reusable bags from the Great Peninsula. They are made out of paper, jute or material. These bags are replacing plastic ones. Stores like Aldo admit to have never used plastic bag. The store uses shoe boxes as packaging: a lace attached to the box serves as a handle. Eco bags are costly to shopkeepers. The price varies between Rs10 and Rs35. The only way that this can be reduced is by exempting buyers from the tax value added on these bags. There is definitely a change of attitude in supermarkets since the plastic bags are payable. But on the other side, vegetable sellers at the local market are still using plastic bags without handles, which are not taxed by law and thus not payable.

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