Kalyan, 21/11/12

Project Concept Note (PCN) – मेरा रंग दे बसंती झोला

This year I have spent around 15000 Rupees on Plastic bags for use at my Cracker Shop just for Diwali season. On an

average I have spent around 40000 rupees in the past one year on plastic bags for use in my shop. This is because I

do not want to lose business from carless customers who do not carry their own bags while shopping. Though I have

not started charging for giving out plastic carry bags till date but I have also seen to it that there is no dent in my

profits due to spending on plastic bags.

Most business in Kalyan today gives out plastic bags. We are unquestioning of our habit to use those. Customers

consider having an extra plastic bag as their birthright. Business gives out these very liberally. They do not charge for

that, but see to it that the expense is recovered from the trade. If my small seasonal business spends this criminal

amount on plastic carry bags I can only give a wild guess as to how much plastic is wastefully needed by other more

prosperous businesses in Kalyan.

We are consuming plastic at a never before growth rate. Though some conservative old generations Elders have been

using there own cloth bags for shopping, it is not a favorite trend in the current generation. If the practice of using

cloth stitched bags is not seen by the future citizens of our country the practice will get extinct in some years.

If we need to be sustainable in our shopping practices we need to change the habits of the present generation. Only

if the future generation i.e. our children see us using cloth stitched bags will they ask about the paradigm shift, and

we will get an opportunity to explain them about sustainability. Not just in shopping practice but in various other

things and activities.

One sturdy, stitched cloth bag for example can be used 100 times at least which means 100 times less plastic use,

hundred opportunities to explain to our kids the importance of sustainability. It might cost us 25 to 30 rupees as one

time cost but it can save us Rs. 500, as a recurring cost. So not only this practice is environmentally sustainable but

most critically makes a good economic sense too.

If Rotary takes an initiative to popularize these sturdy, stitched, beautifully designed, researched, specially branded,

advertised, manufactured by needy economically weaker sections of the society cloth bags in the market of Kalyan, I

am sure it will be a worthwhile project which if meticulously worked out can also be a fundraising project. Not only

we be doing a good project but it will be sustainable one too.

To brief, keep a target of 100000 Eco bags (potentially replacing 1 Cr. Plastic bags). Get them made by Mahila

Mandal/ Cooperatives / NGO’s / Needy Tailors (Shimpy Samaj) etc…get cloth and other material in bulk, distribute

them in these cooperatives/ Mandal/ NGO’s etc. get the bags designed & printed, sell advertisement space on these

bags to Banks, Corporate, Shops etc., sell these bags to at least 200 shopkeepers in Kalyan (I am sure each one will

need at least 5000 Bags going by their customer base). These shopkeepers will have to charge their customers one

time (give the profit earned while charging for these Eco Bags to Rotary). Rotary conducts a yearlong campaign

(Named – मेरा रंग दे बसतंी झोला) for inspiring citizens to use these bags through media. Make it a continual project

just as like Pulse Polio drive, blood donation & Medical Checkup camps. Start a Journey towards sustainability.

Fellows, do you agree? What’s your say?

Rtn. Amit Gopal Chauhan, R C Kalyan