BigBasket on Tuesday stopped the usage of cling films to package coconuts after the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) warned the online grocery store against using single-use plastics. The concern was highlighted by Beautiful Bengaluru, a citizen's forum, on Sunday after a coconut bought from this online supermarket was seen delivered, packaged in cling film.
". @bigbasket_com seems to believe that a hard shell and fibre covering aren't enough protection for coconuts! :) Please be aware that cling film is banned and generates non-recyclable waste. Customers need stores and chains that respect the plastic ban! @Randeep_Dev," tweeted @BeautifulBluru with a picture of the same.
Responding to the tweet, BBMP Additional Commissioner Randeep Dev said that BigBasket would be penalised if it continued to use cling films. "Commencing Sept 1st, 2019 @bigbasket_com would be penalised substantially if they continue using cling film. Please note that the new SWM Byelaws allow #BBMP to close down store and suspend/cancel trade license if such single use plastics incl cling film are being used," he said in a tweet.
Dev also clarified that the by-laws were a draft and that it would be finalised and notified only after receiving and evaluating public comments. The move is part of the BBMP's crackdown on single-use plastics.
"We have stopped using cling film for packing coconuts starting Tuesday. We are absolutely committed to being ecologically sensitive and are using this feedback to review the entire gamut of packing materials we use," said TN Hari, Head, Human Resources, BigBasket.
"We hardly use any plastic packing. For all fruits and vegetables, we use paper, for green leafy vegetables we use a biodegradable material made of starch. The feedback we have is that since it looks like plastic, it gets treated as plastic in segregation at the consumer end and this creates a problem with recycling plastic. So we are evaluating options for packing green leafy vegetables," he added.
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