THE Meridian Store on Taveuni has banned the use of plastic bags in their shop in an effort to protect the environment. Shop owner Champak Lal said they ordered 2000 biodegradable bags for their customers to use. Mr Lal said they were proud to be setting the trend for shoppers in the country, adding it was time to stop the use of plastic. Mr Lal said since initiating the project in December last year, people took the bags which were free and failed to reuse them during their next shopping trip. “It will take some time for the initiative and its purpose to be accepted and appreciated by people because there needs to be awareness made in our communities about the effect of plastics on our environment,” he said. “There is a different approach from expatriates who understand the objectives of the initiative and appreciate it. “Attitudes will only change once people are aware of the effects of plastics on their ecosystem and I think the responsible authorities need to hold more awareness in our communities.” Mr Lal said with the little they were doing, people were starting to query about the change. “It is a good way of doing awareness to the people,” he said. “We at Meridian Store will continue to set the trend in the country because we are the first shop to open in the world every day.”
