The Creado family made an earnest attempt to go green when the Maharashtra government announced a ban on plastics in 2018. Having witnessed mounds of non-biodegradable waste wash ashore near their sea-facing home, Reagan Creado, an organic farmer and green warrior, convinced his parents, Sandra and Colin, to adopt a plastic-free lifestyle. And in that, they met with considerable success. The polythene shopping bags were replaced with sturdier cloth bags and steel dabbas, used specifically for fish and meat items picked up at the cold storage. All plastic bottles at home were ditched for recycled, glassware. The plastic garden pots made way for those made from ceramic and clay. Reagan even dug pits in their garden to compost vegetable leftovers. These tiny changes, he remembers, made the family more "environmentally-focused". The pandemic, sadly, upended everything.

For a better part of the lockdown, Reagan didn't step out of home, as he lives with elderly parents. "We started ordering in more frequently from our local kirana- and sabziwallas." This meant that they now had absolutely no control over the packaging these items were coming in. "Just a few days ago, there was a farmer's market organised in the neighbourhood, and since I wasn't at home, mum placed the order over phone. The vegetables were delivered in 12 separate bags, all plastic. It felt like an absolute waste, but do we have a choice?" From almost zero-waste living, the Creados are now struggling to keep a check on their daily plastic consumption. "I am afraid it's not going to change anytime soon," feels Reagan.