The New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) is trying to make CB Market, in Action Area 1C, plastic-free. A meeting was held on Saturday with owners of the 40-odd shops that are doing business here to discuss ways to prevent plastic use. The market is regarded as the most popular among the 12 NKDA markets.

“We have to learn to live without plastic. The law was always there; we are now trying to implement it,” said NKDA chairman Debashis Sen.

Many of the shop-owners claimed to use plastic bags thicker than 50 microns. But Sen countered the argument, pointing out how unscrupulous traders put 50 micron-plus seals even on flimsy packets. “We do not want to get into debates on which is over 50 microns and which is not. Even thick plastic bags are non-biodegradable. So ask your customers to get shopping bags from home. They might be upset the first day but they will soon get used to it.” Four cloth bags each were handed over to the shop-keepers. Such bags, it was announced, will be given to block residents too.

“We started waste segregation a year ago. We have succeeded in segregating 20 to 25 per cent of the waste generated in New Town. Now we want to start work with plastic,” Sen said.

Reassuring traders, he said they would not be blamed if wholesellers packed their consignment in plastic sheets. “Let us start with the bags you give to customers,” he said.

Kartik Mondal, who owns a meat shop, raised doubts at the meeting about what other material he could pack meat in. “But if this is good for the environment, we will have to manage,” he said later.

Vegetable sellers voiced objections to hawkers parking handcarts on the street leading to the market and eating into their business. The officials promised to look into the problem.