Paper bag industry struggles as plastic bags available in market

DIMAPUR—People of Nagaland seemed to have chosen convenience over environment and health as usage of paper bags is still very low despite the banning of single-use items in the state. 

On the occasion of World Paper Bag Day, which is observed on July 12 every year to underscore the importance of opting for environmental-friendly alternative to plastics, Eastern Mirror spoke to Imliben Lemtur, proprietor of paper bag manufacturing unit Monalisa Business Solutions in Dimapur, to get an insight into the demand of plastic bags.

Lemtur said that paper bags as an alternative to plastics has been discussed from the government level to the NGOs but it has faltered on implementation.

‘Paper bag is a better alternative to plastic bag but its use in our state is never an option, especially in the market as people look for convenience while shopping, and so running a paper bag industry is very challenging,’ he said, citing the challenges she face daily since the day she launched her paper bag business in 2019.

She said that she was about to shutting down the business due to the low demand but it picked up during the COVID-19 pandemic as people started ordering in bulk for weddings and food parcel with gatherings restricted.

She receives orders from local entrepreneurs but opines that paper bag industry will not grow and people will never realise the importance of using recyclable bags until plastic bags are totally banned.

She highlighted that sourcing raw material for making paper bags is very difficult as everything has to be sourced from outside the state, which is time consuming and has to meet transportation cost as the only paper mill in the state has been shut.

Lemtur said that prospect of paper bag industry is grim, as its usage as well, if the plastic ban is not implemented stringently.

On complaints of durability, she said paper bags made of higher grams per square metre (GSM) are heavier and can hold vegetables as well as bottles. 

‘Plastic has been banned in the market but it is still in use and available in the market. Even the shopkeepers and the public are at fault. The Dimapur Municipal Council needs to implement the ban sternly; checking only during the discussion by the state government or order from them will not help,’ she said.

‘One should realise that paper bags are environment-friendly and plastic waste will be minimised if we start using paper bags,’ she added.

Meanwhile, she is optimistic use of paper bags will pick up once people start realising the importance of protecting the environment and change their mindset.

‘We have been carried away by plastics, so we are dependent on it while ignoring that it is common pollutant (to the environment). Not just the shopkeepers but anyone who carries plastic bags should be penalized,’ she said.

‘To encourage use of paper bags, we should refuse plastic bags from shopkeepers or shopkeepers should stop keeping plastic bags and promote recyclable bags in order to reduce demand for plastic bags,’ she added.

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