This Independence Day, Gurugrammers say no to plastic flags

As Independence Day draws close, the sale of national flags – both big and small – has begun on red lights, road side stalls, and shops in the old city of Gurgaon. However, as compared to last year, there is one major change in the kind of flags being sold – plastic flags have gone missing this time. In earlier years, apart from the big cloth flags, a large number of small plastic flags meant for cars and office desks would be sold across the city. However, this year, they have been replaced largely by paper flags, which sellers say is due to a lack of demand for plastic flags. A seller near HUDA City Centre metro station told us, “People would not buy the plastic flags. We had been observing over the past few years. Most people ask us ki chhote wale bhi kapde me nahi aate kya?”

Gurugrammers say on a day to celebrate love for the country they cannot harm it’s environment by using plastic flags

Change began three years ago when a blanket ban on plastic was enforced in Haryana
Wholesalers in the city tell us that they have stopped stocking these plastic flags now since there is no demand. Naitik, a wholesaler from old Gurgaon, says, “There is no demand for plastic flags. Over the last 2-3 years, since the plastic bag ban in the state, the numbers had been dwindling and this year, even other accessories like caps, bands, etc are also not plastic.” Most wholesalers in the city say the change in attitude of the customers began slowly three years ago when a blanket ban on plastic was enforced in Haryana. Even though the ban in itself is largely ineffective as plastic bags are still available, it has translated into fewer plastic flags being sold on occasions like Independence Day and Republic Day. Anand, a shopkeeper at Sadar Bazaar, tells us, “We don’t keep the plastic flags anymore. For the last two-three years, there hasn’t been much demand for those. And anyway, plastic bags are banned in the state, so we extend that to plastic flags as well. Only a few years ago, these Chinese plastic flags used to be half our sales.”

Laminated paper flags are more in demand in Gurgaon’s markets

Laminated flags are selling like hot cakes
But now, plastic flags have been replaced by paper flags, which are priced almost in the same bracket. While the paper flags that used to be sold usually in the previous years would tear easily, this year, the ones sold are laminated, which makes them more durable. These come in two varieties: a larger one comes with a groove to fit on the handle of bikes and two-wheelers and sells for `50, while smaller ones for car dashboards go for as less as `10 each at red lights across the Millennium City. A seller near HUDA City Centre says, “In laminated walon ki hi demand hai logon mein. Poochte hain ye plastic toh nahi. Jab pata chalta hai ki kaagaz hai laminated, tab hi lete hain.” Even in the wholesale markets in old Gurgaon, the laminated flags are selling like hot cakes. Here, a packet of 50 such flags can be bought for `80. While the sellers do not seem to know what material the lamination is made of, they claim it is not ‘the harmful kind of plastic’. “A complaint with the paper flags was that they would tear easily. So, this time, we have small paper flags that are laminated. The lamination is not harmful plastic,” claims Ajit, a seller near IFFCO Chowk.

Vendors say they have only cloth flags as people are not buying plastic flags

Eco-friendly options are cheaper when bought in bulk as compared to plastic ones
Even the plastic badges that would be bought by schools and other institutions in bulk are seeing less demand, and instead of them, institutions are buying non-laminated paper flags that can be pinned to the shirt. “These are cheaper also as a batch of 100 costs only `25, which is less than one-third of what badges would cost in bulk. And anyway, demand for all things plastic is low,” says Neeraj Malik, a wholesaler at Sadar Bazaar.
Residents say they discarded plastic in favour of greener options because of environmental concerns. Rashmi Tyagi, a South City resident, who was buying flags from Sadar, told us, “It is a day to celebrate the love for your country. But by buying plastic, we are only harming the country by contributing to littering. Hence, I don’t buy any plastic flags anymore.” The big cloth flags have seen slight increase in their sales too. These flags start from `150 and go up to beyond `500, depending on the quality and size. “The small 2 by 3-feet flags are priced at about `150-180, depending upon the quality of the fabric, while the big 5 by 8-feet ones can be over `500 too. Even their sales have increased by a small margin this year,” says Anand.