Would we like to swap single-use plastic bags with cloth bags? We certainly do. We however often forget to carry cloth bags before heading out to shop?  What happens next? We are back with more single-use plastic bags. 

A Delhi-based NGO ‘Why Waste Wednesdays’ created a method for people to borrow cloth bags from the shops.When you return them, a full refund is paid back.

The project is run in collaboration with South Delhi Municipal Corporation under the name ‘Vikalp Project’. The Vikalp centres have been established in 59 shops. 

Dr. Ruby Makhija, Founder, Why Waste Wednesdays Foundation, says “We place cloth bags with the shopkeeper and he/she offers these bags to a customer against a deposit of Rs. 20. The main catch is that the consumer at any point of time across any of these 59 stores can come back, return the bag and take a total refund.”

“Now this is not buying the bag, it is about borrowing a bag,” she adds.

Makhija claims that more than 4000 cloth bags are in circulation and none has been returned back to the shopkeepers. The bag fabric is 100% cotton, which is environment friendly and it is coming from export factory leftovers.

Check out the story here: