Kozhikode: Geetha, a retired teacher from a government school in a remote village of Kozhikode district in Kerala has found a unique way to raise awareness against the use of plastic and plastic bags.
According to reports, Geetha started manufacturing cloth bags of different varieties after her retirement and has since gained much-needed attention from the residents. An exhibition is being conducted here at Gurukulam Art Gallery, displaying the talent and creativity of the school teacher.
Kerala teacher sells hand-made cloth bags to tackle plastic use Geetha started crafting a different kind of bags including bags for teenagers and kids, party bags, office-purpose bags, around five years ago.
The beautifully crafted bags have a price which ranges from 50 to 500 rupees. The cloth bags are made up of cotton and terry wool.
Geetha learned the art primarily from YouTube, and then began to experiment with it. Now, with a wide collection of cloth bags, Geetha has attracted the residents and is silently carrying out an awareness campaign against the use of plastic bags.
The Union government plans to ban plastic bags, cups, plates, small bottles, straws and certain types of sachets and the restriction will cover manufacturing, usage and import.
In his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said steps would be taken from October 2 to make India free from single-use plastic. Single-use plastics, or disposable plastics, are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. These items include the likes of plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, water bottles and most of food packaging materials.
An effective ban on single-use plastic can happen if an alternative is available in the market. Cloth or jute bags, locally tailored and produced, can be a viable alternative.
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