Eco friendly carry bags: Shop owner's perception

Plastic products have become an integral part of our daily life, encouraging its production to cross 150 million tons per year globally. Packaging represents the single-largest sector of plastics use and accounts for 35 per cent of plastic consumption. Plastic food packaging increases the shelf life of foods, and provides a cheap, hygienic and versatile range of wrappings. Although it has obvious advantages for the food industry, the huge increase in plastic packaging has greatly increased plastic waste and, consequently, litter. While no authentic figures on total generation of plastic waste in India are available, it is estimated to be approximately 5.6 million tons per annum (TPA), which is about 15,342 tons per day (TPD). Thermoplastics or recyclable plastics contribute to about 80 per cent of the total post-consumer. This paper is an effort to study shop owner's perception and awareness about the usage of plastic bag as their packaging material.