Street hawkers of Thimphu selling fast food welcomed Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering’s idea of using biodegradable plates and cups and carrying out cleaning campaigns in their places of business. He met with the group yesterday afternoon as part of the government’s pledge to legalise, protect and support the informal economy.
At present, street hawkers mostly use plastic cups and paper plates to sell their food items. This is not only harmful to the environment but also, oftentimes, leaves the surrounding littered.
“If more people start buying degradable cups then production would also increase. This will contribute to our local economy. The government will try to come with some new initiatives on this matter,” the prime minister said.
For the street vendors, initiating the idea is within their means.
“It would be convenient to use degradable cups and plates. At the moment, managing plastic cups on a daily basis is difficult. At times, we have so much plastic cups to dispose of,” said Tshering Lhamo, a street vendor.
“If the government introduces the production of degradable cups, we are willing to buy and use it. That way, we can substitute import of plastic cups. It will also contribute to our local economy,” said Pema Dema, another street vendor.
Meanwhile, interacting with the prime minister, the vendors shared that they did not face any major problem in doing business as in the past.
Pema Tshewang
