Excessive and non-biodegradable packaging is what actually is adding to the monumental waste problem in urban areas. Both consumers and the environment suffer the consequences of this unbalanced approach to product promotion. Both the quality of packaging material and the volume add to the price consumers pay for throw- aways. Packaging actually has a very peculiar role in the life of a product and its consumers. As long as a product is bought and used, packaging is what draws the consumer to the product. Manufacturers invest a lot of money and ingenuity in choosing their packaging. The consumer looks at the colourful glitzy array and decides to take home a product, many a time, on judgement based on the look of the packaging. However once it is discarded, it is a lot of money thrown away. When it leaves the consumer home, it has a very complex and long journey to its ultimate demise, if at all. Its immortal and non-destructible structure is now being turned into good business by some innovative people.

The Indian approach to garbage management has actually been quite sensible. Housewives have always segregated waste and^tashed away the recyclable stuff to be sold to the 'kabadiwallas 1 in return for small change. Our lifestyles and attitudes have always eschewed waste, and it is indeed a great pity that most of us are now absorbing the wasteful throw-away and unsustainable culture of developed country consumers. Since we do not have the wherewithal of handling modern waste, our cities are fast acquiring an ugly littered appearance unlike their western counterparts which have fine-tuned the art of making humongous amounts of their waste invisible. Focus is being increasingly built on consumer responsibility in these areas. Handling packaging and waste at individual levels, within the consumer homes to the locality and city levels, and eventually to national and global levels is, or should be, everybody's agenda. Best approach consists of refusing and rejecting unsustainable packaging. Indian consumers still have the choice between unpackaged cheaper food products and the branded, packaged but expensive variety. Seasonal, fresh and available 'at the door-step' food products are now literally being run out of business. City vendors, who had a neat sustainable mode of employment are now being pushed out by showy, expensive and unsustainable food chains which are actually adding to the waste problem in our cities.

Government has not worked out a strategy or developed a policy which would integrate manufacturer sale and purchase patterns in urban areas. A holistic approach could address several issues simultaneously. Employment for the small scale sellers, fresh cheap and nutritive food for the consumers and avoidance of non-biodegradable waste could all be dealt with at one go. We also bring you a related article on obesity which is acquiring alarming proportions amongst the urban 1 potations, globally. Obesity problems are now directly being linked to change in consumption patterns in the cities. People increasingly rely on packaged processed food which tends to lean towards the junk food sector. It is good neither for consumer health, nor for the health of our planet. Another area of consumer responsibility which needs a focus, is consumer behaviour in times of unstable social conditions, like currently in Gujarat . Consumer life is under tremendous stress almost all over the country, due to local and national approach to handling day to day life and related services. Consumer safety, accessibility, to basic needs, a safe environment, redress, right to be informed and heard, all are in jeopardy. We invite our readers to send their suggestions/ responses to us on all these areas of consumer concern.