Should sustainable life be an expensive affair?

As the last kid of the home, it was the custom that I had to be the grocery shopper. I sprinted to shops nearby for mini purchases. Mom would hand over my school lunch bag to bring things from grocery stores- a related picture posted below. I chanted the items on the way: 100g of green chilies, six eggs, 200g of tomatoes, and curry leaves are generally for free. I still remember the elderly couple who ran the store. They would swiftly pick the items, bundle them in old newspapers, and tie them with Jute ropes. We call it 'Potalam' in Tamil.

After I brought things home, mom would uncover them and throws the paper and the bundling rope in the bin. It was a sigh of relief for me, as I knew mother nature would make it disappear in a few days. As the days went by, the number of Potalams diminished as readymade plastic sachets replaced them.

Today, when we go to a supermarket, we get to pick the fancy plastic potalams and pay extra for buying a cloth bag at the cash counter. The sustainable purchase has become a costly affair!!! The additional 500 Rupees for that dress, because they are ''sustainably'' produced. The extra 200 Rupees for the dishwashing liquid, because they are "climate-friendly." Why are wooden toys more expensive than plastic ones?

A few years ago, we lived a sustainable life because that was all we could afford. Today, we can't afford one to live.

Sometimes, I wish to go back to the old couple's store and purchase groceries without guilt.

#singleuseplastic#localfood#bringbackpotalams