Governors in Massachusetts and Illinois have banned or strongly discouraged the use of reusable grocery bags
Current Affairs : Just weeks ago, cities and even states across the US were busy banning straws, limiting takeout containers and mandating that shoppers bring reusable bags or pay a small fee for one at stores. This was part of a movement to eliminate single-use plastics, not just in the US but many countries across the world.
In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called for a ban on single-use plastic from the ramparts of Red Fort on August 15 last year. “During my 2014 speech, I spoke about cleanliness. It became a movement in the country and the common man took it up with gusto. Today, I have another request. By October 2, on the birth anniversary of Dear Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi), I want to urge citizens to give up single-use plastic,” Modi had said in his address on the 73rd Independence Day.
In a matter of days, hard-won bans to reduce the use of plastics and particularly plastic shopping sacks across the US have come under fire amid worries about the virus clinging to reusable bags, cups and straws.
Governors in Massachusetts and Illinois have banned or strongly discouraged the use of reusable grocery bags. Oregon suspended its brand-new ban on plastic bags this week, and cities from Bellingham, Washington, to Albuquerque, New Mexico, have announced a hiatus on plastic bag bans as the coronavirus rages.
Aditi Mehta 