Kerala: Grocery store encourages customers to bring their own container to curb plastic usage
Oct 13, 2021
Kochi (Kerala) [India], October 13 : A grocery store in Kerala's Kolencherry is encouraging customers to bring their own containers and bottles for shopping and minimise the use of plastic.
The '7 to 9 Green Store' store set up by Bittu John, an MTech-holder, comprises 50 per cent organic products and is a plastic-free zone.
Speaking to ANI, John said that he is the third generation in this business and he converted the shop to a green store in 2019 making it the first-ever of its kind in India.
Elaborating on how the idea of 'green store' works, John told ANI that the customers are asked to bring their own containers or the shop provides organic cotton bags or paper bags to carry the goods.
"For the liquid items, items will be sold in glass bottles that can be reused. Most items in the shop are unpackaged, kept in tight bins, steel containers and bottles and provided without plastic covers," said the store owner.
He further informed that they manufacture most of the products themselves.
"Most of the products are manufactured by us. We are making all these items like flour, spices, chilly powders, masalas, oils everything we are making on our own. These all are homemade items. The rest of the items are mostly organic certified items," he said.
The store also sells biodegradable washing solutions, cleaning products, fabric softeners etc. Organic shampoos, body washes, wooden toothbrushes and tongue cleaners, wooden pens and pencils, organic cooking oils.
