When the Bombay Swadeshi re-opened shutters as the revamped The Bombay Store in 1995, it also did away with plastic bags and switched to paper. ``The main reason for changing over to paper bags was because we are concerned about the environment, and are aware of the kind of havoc wreaked by plastic bags,'' Vishal Kapoor, the store's managing director told Express Newsline. ``Along with bags, we also started stocking eco-friendly products made from recycled paper goods, rubber wood, and recycled plastic objects like umbrellas,'' he adds.

Another store which traded plastic for paper is bookshop Danai. ``We based our decision on two factors: Paper bags look good, plus they are eco-friendly. Actually, we had always used paper bags, but when the demand for plastic grew, weswitched. Now, we are only too happy to be back to paper,'' said Veena Marthandam, Danai's manager.

Customer demands, however, force many stores to stay loyal to plastic. Shop owners also speak of customers who quibble that paper bags don't last, don't hold up during the rains, or are not reusable. ``These are minor things that people will have to bear with,'' says Hema Sankalia, of Contemporary Arts and Crafts, which recently completely gave up plastic bags in favour of paper. Kicking plastic can also cost quite a packet for the stores, as the cost of paper is 15 times that of plastic. ``Plastic bags cost us about Rs 1.50 a piece, and can be mass produced to ensure us a supply of 5,000 bags at a time. Paper bags, on the other hand, cost close to Rs 13 a piece, and mass production is not easy,'' informed Sankalia. But their store has decided to absorb the costs. The Bombay Store is also working on substitutes for the paper bag that can be used in the rains. ``We are doing a great deal of research on jutebags. For smaller bags we are working on a finer kind of jute, whereas larger merchandise can be carried in slightly better finished jute bags,'' said Kapoor.