Delhi’s citizens are the biggest shoppers in the country, buying more of most things – from automobiles to garments – than often the combined total of the other urban centres. This excessive consumption results in generating over 300 metric tonnes of plastic waste a day, 70% of which remain non-degraded posing serious threats to the environment.

One of the strongest response to this plastic hazard came from Chetanalaya, the social action wing of the Archdiocese of Delhi, when the country’s first “Green Shopper” movement was inaugurated by Lt. Governor of Delhi, Mr. Tejender Khanna. “Thanks to the bold step that Chetanalaya has taken, Delhi would be more clean and green” expressed the hope by the Lt. Governor, as the whole of Delhi is catching up with hectic preparations for Common Wealth Games 2010.

“Green Shopper” movement is based on simple practical concepts. What we need is education hand in hand with legislation. Unless people are conscientized and they commit themselves to use alternatives, plastic-free Delhi will remain always a distant dream. Green shopper movement is primarily an education process where consumers are urged to return to pre-polythene culture where the customer carries his bag for purchasing.

Targeting the impressible minds and reaching out to families through children, Chetanalaya propagated the concept of “responsible consumerism’ through schools. If last year about 20000 children in eight prominent schools in the capital city took their school books and uniforms in jute bags to their parents with an appeal to use this bag for family shopping, this year about 30 schools expressed willingness to associate with Chetanalaya. Recent ban on plastic in Delhi is working like a big bang on Green shopper movement. The Ministry of Environment, through Delhi Kalyan Samiti, has joined Chetanalaya’s anti-plastic campaign and distribution of biodegradable packaging materials by donating two vehicles for this purpose. The ministry has provided various avenues for exhibition and sales in prestigious places like Delhi Ghat and Pragati Maidan.

“Poor to Poor (P2P) Collaboration” is the novel and unique strategy adopted by Chetanalaya and its technical partner Green Forum in its anti-plastic campaign. Women self help groups (SHGs) belonging to the marginalized section in West Bengal and Rajasthan, where jute and cotton raw materials are cheap, will manufacture the shopping bags and SHGs of Delhi will market in the capital thus keeping the trading lobby at bay and the poorest staking a claim in the newly opened market of biodegradable goods.

. Weighing against the magnitude of perils looming large on account of global warming and climate change, the Green shopper movement is a little step, but it is indeed a bold step in as far as it holds out a beacon of hope for the people who care for a planet that is slowly dying.