While all around the world, retailers are trying to use less and less single-use plastics, these vendors from Tawi-Tawi have already come up with greener alternatives. Several fruit and vegetable vendors in the town of Bong-ao (Negros Oriental province) were seen carrying their produce inside baskets entirely woven from coconut leaves.
Indian initiatives
Certainly, these Philippine vendors are not alone. After the Indian government imposed a ban on single-use plastic, banana leaf vendors in south Bengaluru are also hoping for good business by using the banana leaf baskets. “These mean there will be less non-biodegradable waste. We are expecting some growth in our business after the ban on single-use plastic," Satish, a banana leaf vendor from Chamrajpet said.
Another vendor also hoped that business would rise following the plastic ban. "The farmers also will receive profit from the ban. The plastic does not get mixed in the soil; banana leaves are environment-friendly.
Source: gmanetwork.com