Imagine a world without plastic! – no garbage or toxins too. Perhaps, John Lennon’s iconic song Imagine could have aptly used this line, if he had a way to look into the future and witness the pernicious impact of plastic on Mother Earth. Estimates suggest that of the 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic produced, 6.3 billion tonnes have been discarded in the ocean, causing widespread damage to oceans, habitats and foodchains. Given the fact that it takes between 450-1000 years for one plastic bottle to decompose, the situation we face is dire, to put it mildly. In Goa, just a look at our beaches and the amount of garbage that is spat out of the ocean, should make us want to swing into action immediately.
Yet, not many of us think that we can contribute in meaningful ways to combat this issue. Thankfully, two Goenkars and childhood friends, Jonah Fernandes and Eldridge Lobo are providing a solution through Goa’s first (and perhaps India’s first too!) zero waste eco store called Ecoposro, in Verla, Parra. Posro for the uninitiated in Konkani means a ‘general store’ and their intent is to have ‘No Plastic’ either in packaging or in storage. Just a few months since their launch in May, both of them exude optimism in the concept’s promise. While this may be their joint venture, independently the two friends also have their own businesses. Eldrige has been running his own restaurant called Eldou’s in Siolim while Jonah is a trained cinematographer and documentary filmmaker.
Being at the helm of a restaurant, Eldridge was not new to the culture of waste. He says, “Running a restaurant, I have tried to minimise waste by doing away with plastic water bottles and using upcycled glass bottles. I struggled with managing meal portions and experimented with the ‘dabba’ system of take away. I wanted to do my shopping waste free and realised how tough it was, with all the plastic packaging that goes with most products.” Adds Jonah, “For us this was more of a passion led venture than a business proposition. There are no zero waste stores in India and internationally too, it is only in Europe that you find a few. This is the need of the hour and people must realise that even one bag of plastic not used counts. Even not accepting a plastic straw goes a long way.”
Growing up in Goa, they have seen the way it has changed. “It’s sad to see the places that we used to visit as children, turn into landfills,” says Eldridge and adds, “We need to make a radical shift in the way we consume.” The first thing one notices in the store is the use of steel containers and recycled glass containers that are neatly stacked with pulses, cooking oils, spices, sugar, salts, vinegar and more. Says Eldridge, “I remember 30 years ago, this was the way we shopped in Goa. Things would be wrapped in paper and people would chuck the paper. Today, they do the same just that instead of the paper wrapping, they chuck the plastic, not realising how harmful it is. We are literally choking Earth with single use plastic bags. In Goa, the Government ban on plastic bags was a good step but the efficacy seems to have petered out with no consistent stringent measures in place.”
It is an onerous task given that large scale manufacturers and MNCs are the ones that use plastic packaging the most. Jonah adds, “Companies should be made responsible and not consumers. We can only provide a solution for consumers who want to make a thoughtful choice. Even if we help one household reduce their plastic waste by half, we would have made a difference.” This has also lead them to source their products locally, enhancing the quality of their product offering from standard supermarket fare. He explains, “We don’t sell only organic since we cater to all price points. Sometimes people tend to mix up zero waste with ‘organic’. Our battle is against wasteful packaging.”
Making this a community led pool of resources, Ecoposro sells a lot of locally sourced products. “This should be a space for collaborations and we look forward to sourcing from locals. We have stocked detergents made from used cooking oil, an initiative by Goa based, Marie Souto and coconut artifacts made by a local artisan, Vaman from Parra. Carlos, a Spaniard based in Siolim makes some delectable cheese that is sold here. Radhika Walke, from Candolim provides us breads and baked items and my mum Genoveva Lobo’s homemade pickles and masalas are also on offer,” says Eldridge with a smile.
An interesting array of products are on display at the store through collaborations with eco friendly partners. Bamboo toothbrushes and utilitarian items from ‘Bamboo India’, stationery and roofing sheets made out of Tetra Pak from ‘Sahas’, a waste management company, paper straws and steel/copper bottles from ‘Carry your Bottle’ and even personal care products by Bengaluru based, ‘Grinding Stone’.
Talking about his customer base, Jonah says, “50% of our clientele are Indians who have moved to Goa, 40% are foreigners and 10% local Goans.” Explaining the reluctance with locals, Jonah adds, “Supermarkets or convenience stores are a new concept in Goa and the ‘wow’ factor is still strong. Also, at the moment we don’t stock everything so customers may be hindered by that but we hope to change that soon.”
The duo have clear plans for Ecoposro and are currently working on an online solution. Says Eldridge, “We plan to deliver across Goa but will designate deliveries to certain areas on certain days to cut our carbon emission and make it viable.” Sourcing pure organic vegetables being tough, they are also working on having their own vermiculture garden, just opposite the store, that will be ready by December.
Their own lifestyle choices have shown immediate results, with them managing to cut down their waste from 1 big bag of garbage every week to 1 bag every three weeks! Jonah concludes, “We must all try and go plastic free. Reuse old plastic bags, use cloth bags and be more aware of a sustainable way of life.”
As a parting shot, he adds, “No plastic money accepted here either!”
