Single use plastic ban: Substitutes revving up to seize opportunity

Cotton and jute are both vying for space in the domestic market after making global inroads; business goes beyond carry bags to embrace earbuds, thermacol, kitchenware, among others

Opportunity came knocking for Jagdish Bhatia when Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a clarion call for phasing out of single-use plastic in his Independence Day address in 2019. He went on to set up No Plastic Shop, an eco-friendly product selling website primarily focused on cotton bags for wholesale and retail.

Then Covid struck and cotton prices soared, impacting business. But the past 10 months have been good with enquiries coming in from corporations with the restarting of conferences and the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 in effect. Bhatia is now looking forward to a 200 per cent jump