From the time he opened his chicken shop, K. Prabhu has been offering four eggs for free for the purchase of every kilogram of chicken to ensure customer loyalty. This June, when his outlet at Purananuru Street in Anna Nagar, Chitlapakkam completed one year, he added two more eggs to the offer. There was a pre-condition: The two extra eggs would be offered only to those who have a vessel to carry the meat.

Prabhu was offering it as incentive for his customers to avoid plastic. He explains, “I wanted to ensure that my enterprise does not contribute to the plastic waste and harm the environment. At the same time, I didn’t want to take a tough stand by not entertaining customers who would not bring vessels. That can be detrimental to my business. So I was trying to safeguard the interests of both my business and environment. My repeated requests to people to bring a vessel proving futile, I thought of this reward system. Members of volunteering group Chitlapakkam Rising recommended it.”

Prabhu wanted his customers to decide on the reward for bringing a utensil. “I asked then if they would want a discount in price, or a few grams of extra chicken meat or two eggs. Most of them opted for the eggs. Now, an impressive number of customers come with vessels and get six eggs for free for every kg of meat. New customers may not be aware of this freebie. When I tell them about it, some head back home to bring a vessel, in case they reside nearby,” says 41-year-old Prabhu who is a graduate in mechanical engineering.

Sunil Jayaram, a volunteer with Chitlapakkam Rising, says, “I was glad when I saw the board offering two free eggs for a customer bringing a vessel and advised people to avoid plastic covers. Small changes make a huge difference.”

Now, in addition, Prabhu provides masks for free to customers who are not wearing a mask