Paper bags have soared in popularity in Delhi.

Paper bags have soared in popularity in Delhi, thanks to a blanket ban on the usage and manufacturing of plastic carrier bags.

While plastic bag makers in the Indian capital have taken the news hard since the first proposals were launched in 2009, in contrast the paper and cotton bags industries are going from strength to strength.

The Economic Times of India claims that demand for paper bags has almost doubled after the ban, with a range of small and large scale suppliers witnessing huge growth.

A cabinet meeting, presided over by chief minister Sheila Dikshit, decided on a plastic bag ban, as well as the prohibition of plastic coverings to pack magazines and cards.

Unlike other countries which have provided exceptions to the rules for food suppliers and other vendors, the draft notification in Delhi agreed that no one would be allowed to store or use plastic bags for selling any kind of goods.

To back up these regulations, fines have been imposed, with the most serious violators risking a prison sentence of up to five years.

Diversification of these markets has been a sudden move for many businesses, as they aim to cater for the rising demand for paper bags, gift bags and reusable cotton bags.

Across the city there has been a 40 per cent drop in bag use in general, as Delhi residents take the legislation on board and look to reverse their previously wasteful ways.

This includes relying more heavily upon thicker, multiple use bags made from jute or cotton, which are likely to last for many years, rather than being thrown away after each use like plastic bags often are.

With only a handful of these bags per household they are also far easier to store.

We offer a wide range of environmentally friendly options from paper bags to our customisable cotton bags. Please don’t hesitate to contact us today to find out more.