Church promotes 'green' shopping bags to save nature and render jobs

Church people in the capital have embarked on ‘green mission’, which they say will help the poor as well as protect the nature.

Earlier this month, Delhi archdiocese's social–welfare wing in collaboration with some vocational workers in West Bengal, has launched the "Green Shopper Campaign," which urges shoppers to use jute bags instead of plastic.

"We call it a poor–to–poor collaboration," says Father Susai Sebastian, who directs Chetanalaya (house of awareness), the archdiocesan social–work organization.

The priest told UCA News, Chetanalaya will market jute bags that self–help groups in West Bengal produce.

It's approximately 1,000 cells will sell the bags through malls, government vending units, handicraft–marketing centers, schools and residential welfare associations in the city, he explained.

Says Shaji Mathew, a coordinate, the Green Forum that has links with West Bengal, will work with the Church's social–work division to sell jute bags in the capital. As demand for the bags increased, he recounted, they decided to make it a collaborative venture involving self–help groups.

Mathew said, the two groups has test–marketed around 35,000 bags during April and May, and it was a big success.

Volunteers involved say the campaign will also help the national capital region reduce its use of plastic.

At a recent event by the two groups, at least 200 people assembled carrying placards, urging people to use jute handbags. Some of them contained an environment–friendly message.

While jute industry was once the source of economy during the British colonial rule, it became downsized by the arrival of synthetic fibers, which became extensively used in the country.

Church people believe this collaborative venture, will not only protect nature but will also revive the diminishing jute industry, which in turn will render jobs to thousands.

India is the world's largest producer of raw jute. It alone produces World's 50% of raw jute and 40% of finished jute goods. It provides employment of 40 million farmers and 0.2 million–factory workers.

While the country is on the brink of environmental disaster due to pollution, lack of waste disposal infrastructure, rapid industrialization, environmental activists have kick–started campaigns to ban plastic and implement laws to protect the nature.

According to Berker, an environmental scientist, "Plastic is particularly damaging because it is not biodegradable and plastic particles, although invisible, remain unmoving in the water and eventually become part of the food chain, causing huge danger to the society."

About 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year.