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<ul><li>E-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart and BigBasket are racing to eliminate single use plastic from their packaging.</li><li>BigBasket is ahead of the curve as it replaced plastic packaging with paper bags completely three years ago. </li><li>Amazon India plans eliminate single use plastic by June 2020 and Flipkart is aiming for March 2021.</li></ul>Global e-commerce giants, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=amazon+india&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=flipkart&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Flipkart</a>, aim to phase out single-use plastics from their packaging over the next two years. But, homegrown online grocery delivery platform BigBasket has been frugal in its use of plastic since its launched in 2011. "To a large extent we have reduced plastic to a large extent right from before. It’s not recent," Pooja Ravishankar, head of category marketing at BigBasket told Business Insider. For the past three to four years, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=bigbasket&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">BigBasket</a> has stopped using plastic entirely to deliver fruits and vegetables to its customers. "All our fruits and vegetables come in a paper bag," said Ravishankar. Amazon India, on the other hand, plans to eliminate all plastic packaging and replace it with paper cushions by June 2020. Walmart-owned <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/flipkart-and-air-india-become-the-first-in-their-sectors-to-begin-the-fight-against-plastic/articleshow/70894061.cms">Flipkart</a>’s plan is to use 100% recycled plastic in their supply chain by March 2021. The company claims that it has been able to reduce its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=single+use+plastic&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">single use plastic</a> consumption by 25% as on 1 August, 2019. Flipkart stated that it plans to replace poly pouches with recycled paper bags and bubble wrap with carton waste shredded material. Challenges of making the transition from plastic to paper When BigBasket made the switch from plastic bags to paper bags for their fruits and vegetables, their primary concern was that they might lose customers as a result. "We were very worried because plastic gives you that transparency and vegetables look a lot nicer in plastic. Paper is opaque, and customers can’t see them. It’s a very touch-and-feel category," said Ravishankar. Despite the apprehension, BigBasket did not lose customers. They went ahead and switched other grocery categories to paper packaging as well and their bills are printed on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=recycled+paper&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">recycled paper</a>. "We want to reduce the packaging on fruits and vegetables as well. At the end of the day, paper packaging means trees are being cut down. Eventually we would want to move onto the thela (cloth bag) system," explained Ravishankar. Eliminating packaging altogether But, there’s still one challenge that remains — staples. Due to their weight and quantities, BigBasket still has to use plastic to deliver things like atta (flour) and dal (pulses). The company is mulling over shifting to recycle plastic to solve the conundrum "One of the dreams that we have is that we want to get rid of packaging completely. It’s a vision for us," stated Ravishankar. India has plans to implement a country-wide ban on single use plastic on with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to announce new guidelines today, 2 October 2019. During India’s 73rd <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/topic/Independence-day">Independence Day</a>, Modi emphasised immediate measures that could put in place to eradicate non-recyclable plastic. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/flipkart-and-air-india-become-the-first-in-their-sectors-to-begin-the-fight-against-plastic/articleshow/70894061.cms">Flipkart and Air India become the first in their sectors to begin the fight against plastic</a>

Big Basket ahead of e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart in eliminating single use plastics

<keyword id="6384473" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="tomato" source="Orion">Tomato</keyword> is emerging as one of the major off-season cash crops in lower and mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh. Solan, Sirmaur and <keyword id="155897" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kullu" source="Orion">Kullu</keyword> districts harvests 86 per cent of the state's overall production. Off-seasonal tomato cultivation peaks during monsoon in the hills when the crop is not harvesting in plains of north India. The state annually produces 320,700 tonnes of tomato and aims to increase its production by 498,000 tonnes. Agriculture Minister <keyword id="1150518" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="virender-kanwar" source="Orion">Virender Kanwar</keyword> told IANS for some farmers off-seasonal tomato cultivation is the main source of income. About 46 per cent of the state's total plantation is in Solan district with more than 90 per cent of the produce going to markets in neighbouring states mainly Delhi. The other tomato growing belts are Sirmaur (30 per cent) and Kullu (10 per cent), while the remaining is in Shimla, <keyword id="86092" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="mandi" source="Orion">Mandi</keyword> and Bilaspur districts. Most of the farmers prefer to sell their produce through local agriculture produce market committees, whileAAAAA some send directly to Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMCs) of other states. A group of farmers from Salogra have a market linkage with online retail stores like BigBasket. A sell the tomato produce through e-marketplace. At present, 22,753 farmers, many of them with small landholdings, are engaged in tomato production with an annual turnover of Rs 203 crore. Polyhouses are also being used to produce off-season vegetables, said Kanwar. CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University in Palampur has developed disease-resistant high-yielding tomato varieties. They are Palam Pink, Palam Pride, Him Pragati, Him Palam, <keyword id="14357957" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="cherry-yellow" source="Orion">Cherry Yellow</keyword> and <keyword id="14357956" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="palam-tomato-hybrid" source="Orion">Palam Tomato Hybrid</keyword> 1. To promote its cultivation, the university is regularly organizing capacity building programmes, benefitting over 25,000 farmers. The Minister said the government is also extending irrigation facilities and promoting rainwater harvesting. For systematic diversification of crops, the Agriculture Department has chalked out a plan for the introduction of high-yielding hybrids of vegetables, popularization of a micro-irrigation system and protected cultivation. For improvement of quality, organic and natural farming is also being promoted across the state. Subsidy to the tune of 50 per cent is being provided to the farmers for diversification of cereal crops to vegetables under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, wherein the tomato crop cultivation is also being promoted, added Kanwar. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/news/who-will-get-the-party-symbol-bow-and-arrow-if-shiv-sena-splits/articleshow/92611630.cms">It’s not the CM seat but the one who wields ‘bow and arrow’ will be the Sena head</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sustainability/news/ban-on-single-use-plastic-kicks-in-across-india-as-the-country-recognises-the-choking-impacts-of-plastic-waste-on-the-environment/articleshow/92600992.cms">Ban on single-use plastic kicks in across India as the country recognises the choking impacts of plastic waste on the environment</a>

You Searched For "bigbasket plastic ban" and got 2 results

Big Basket ahead of e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart in eliminating single use plastics

Prabhjote Gill

Tomato is changing the fortunes of Himachal farmers in Solar, Sirmaur and Kullu

IANS

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