I have been having a hard time avoiding plastic since I have moved. Most of the shopkeepers and street vendors are very eager to provide me with plastic bags. I am not a fluent speaker of either local language. Telling them that I just want them to put my stuff in the fabric bag that I brought with me in what must be very bad French/Charades isn’t working very well.
That is why getting a 1/2 pound of butter wrapped in a plain piece of paper felt like a victory.
That was definitely a victory! WTG
As for the plastic bags, if you can’t communicate as well as you’d like, make a point of taking your products out of the plastic bag and putting them in your fabric bag and handing the plastic one back to them. Put a smile on your face and say Thank You. Eventually the shopkeepers and vendors will get to know you and your preferences.