Monday, April 06, 2009

PITFALLS OF GOING GREEN

This letter was published in the Week magazine, published in the sultanate of oman and i think the contents therein are applicable in sri lanka too. thus decided to put it up in my blog. 

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
March 18, 2009
Shopping mall failing
The norm today is to go green and use only renewable and reusable products. But be aware of the pitfalls and unwarranted troubles one invites by doing that.

Recently someone gifted me a reusable jute bag. Since then I have been using it when I go for my weekly shopping to the nearest mall. The mall started selling the same jute bags, but they are only available at the checkouts and customers do not have access to their display location. If you need a bag then you have to request the person who is behind the checkout to give you one.

Despite all these precautions, on every single occasion when I have approached the counter, I have been questioned as if I have committed a crime. The queue gets held up, security personnel converge on the scene and other customers start giving you dirty looks.

After the latest incident, I lodged a complaint with the mall’s management and they have promised to look into it and educate their customer service people. 

As a precautionary measure, I asked their security to stamp my bag once and for all and they have obliged. I hope that they will stick to their promises and I am writing this to perform a citizen’s act, so other environmentally concerned people should not have to experience such embarrassments in the future.  

Please get your bag stamped at the entrance because you do not know who is sitting behind the checkouts.

Sasanka De Silva, on email

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