Successful Solutions Stall at Dilli Haat

Written by Caroline / 09 September 2009 / Read Caroline's latest blog entries.

During the summer of 2009, a team of ICS interns worked with some businesses in Delhi to create greater demand for alternatives to plastic bags. Julia Lurie, Lucia Cowles and Neha Bhargava organized a successful stall at Dilli Haat, with the support of many wonderful volunteers from Manzil. The team showcased products made from waste, including Conserve's purses, belts, and wallets, and tote bags from Darpana. The stall also featured bags from Small Steps, alternatives to plastic bags that fold into a small pouch for easy carrying. The wonderful volunteers from Manzil had also created many varieties of bags made of newspaper, decoarated with beautiful drawings or collages made of tissue paper and scrap fabric from donated saris.

Despite the heat, the incredible volunteers held two weeks of sales at Dilli Haat, and helped reach larger purchasers with the idea of alternatives to plastic bags. The owners and management of Dilli Haat continue to explore ways to encourage more of their stalls to switch from plastic to alternative bags without incurring too much cost. Potential ideas including selling large cloth bags at the entry point, or giving purchasers the option of buying a plastic bag for a few extra rupees (thus passing the cost onto consumers).