Markets are held seven days a week in Kozhikode, Kerala. This Market One of the busiest markets of Kozhikode. Although there is usually a crowd in the markets on any one day of the week, but there is a crowd every day. It is from this market that Shankaran Musad, a resident of Kozhikode, prepares a list of items to buy. After making the purchase, Sankaran empties the things kept in Plastic Free India like spices, sugar, fruits etc. Once when he was doing this in the market, the shopkeeper noticed him and forbade him to do so.
Not only this, many people started taking photos from mobile phones after seeing Shankaran Musad doing this. 56-year-old Shankaran Musad is a retired clerk. They The Better India Told to Ko, “I just empty the things kept in plastic packets and keep them in packets made of paper. By the way, people do this work at their home too. Knowing my mission to keep plastic out of the house, the shop manager didn’t say anything to me. After that I went to the market several times. Now people here are not surprised to see me.”
Shankaran Musad is contributing to the campaign being run by the Government of India to eliminate single-use plastic items. He says, “I am not doing this to gain fame. As a responsible citizen, I am stopping the use of plastic. It’s a natural thing for me now.”
How plastic free mission started
When Shankaran Musad was working as a clerk, he had started the plastic-free mission. Sankaran Musad was the first to join the campaign in early 2017 when Vazkkad Panchayat launched a campaign against plastic, urging citizens to adopt eco-friendly alternatives. He not only told about it to others but
He himself started using plastic carry bags at his home by converting them into clothes.
He appealed to the workers in his office to give up non-biodegradable plastic cups and bottles. This effort of Shankaran Musad was also appreciated by the Panchayat. A few days later, due to the collective effort of the panchayat, steel glasses were used instead of plastic glasses for serving tea and coffee in the market. Inspired by him, Musad’s companions started bringing their lunch in steel tiffin boxes.
start from home
Sankaran Musad realized that this mission would not be accomplished by simply not using plastic carry bags. There are many things in the house that are made of plastic. Musad says, “When my wife and I started counting the plastic items in the house, we found that most of the things in our house were plastic. Plastic is also a toxic material. So we made a plan to reduce its use.
He visits the city once or twice a month and buys cloth bags in bulk from the market. They believe that people find it a bit more expensive to buy cloth bags than plastic bags. He said, “Polythene bags are used a lot in our homes.
We store them thinking that it will be reused for our next grocery shopping. But we often forget to carry a bag when we go out and end up with a new one.” But every member of the Musad family, now goes to the market to shop with at least one cloth bag.
Instead of plastic, use steel containers
The Musad family now uses stainless steel containers to store food items instead of plastic ones. Numbers are written on these steel boxes, so that it can be easily identified. Food items have also been given a special number and a list has been put next to it so that it can be easily known which is in which. Sankaran Musad says, “Whenever my grandparents went to the dairy, they always used to take milk in a container.”
Sankaran Musad’s wife Preetadevi helped him a lot in his mission. After helping them to opt for plastic, they have now taken it up as their job. Preeta Devi is a teacher. Recently, many competitions were organized in the private school there.
In this event, Preeta Devi presented her idea of making plastic free pens. Preeta Devi told that in the school competition “the students made a pen out of kraft paper and filled it with vegetable seeds. It was a biodegradable pen, which after being wasted would sprout into a plant.
95 percent plastic free, Sankaran Musad’s house
Sankaran Musad says that his house is not completely plastic free yet. Because things like shampoo bottles and photo frames
are also present. “I can say that my house is 95 percent plastic free,” he said. His efforts were recently recognized and shared on his official social media handle, by the Harita Kerala Mission, a government-led initiative for a sustainable environment. “This family is a good example of how families can follow the plastic free mission.
Sankaran Musad is doing a really great job. It is absolutely right to say that you practice what you preach. Mussad is a great example of the fact that nothing is impossible. It’s hard to find alternatives when it comes to the environment.
Doesn’t work.
Original article: Gopi Karelia
Editing – G N Jha
Also read: After 12th, these five scholarships can provide you the desired course and admission in a good college
If you like the stories of The Better India – Hindi or want to share your experience with us, write to us at hindi@thebetterindia.com or Facebook, Twitter Or get in touch on Instagram.
