Nepal

The government has warned action against the sale of plastic bouquets and garlands during Tihar and Chhath festivals.

Issuing a notice on Thursday, the Department of Environment warned that violators could face a fine of up to Rs100,000. It plans to deploy inspectors to monitor the sale of plastic products.

“If any action is found contrary to the decision of the government, environment inspectors could impose fine to the violators,” the notice says.

The Ministry of Forest and Environment banned the production, import, sale, distribution, and storage of plastic bouquets and garlands across the country on July 28. Later, it imposed a nationwide ban on plastic bags thinner than 40 microns – which is half the thickness of human hair.

Despite the ban, as any shopper can see it, sale and distribution of thinner plastic bags continue unchecked across Nepal. According to a 2020 research conducted by UNDP, urban centres in Nepal produce approximately 350 tons of plastic waste every day.

Kathmandu, the biggest metropolis in the country, currently uses 4.7 to 4.8 million plastic bags daily, according to recent research by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

Plastic waste in Kathmandu constitutes about 16 percent of the daily waste.

Also Read: Thinner poly bags ban comes into effect, but concerns remain