Nepal government declares Kathmandu Valley plastic-free

Street vendors in the Kathmandu Valley. Image by Cheryl Marland / CC BY 2.0

The government of Nepal has declared the entire Kathmandu Valley to be a plastic-bag free zone. From today, bags thinner than 40 microns will be banned, including the carrier bags commonly given out by shops and drinks vendors, which are one of the main sources of pollution in Nepal. The organisers of the ban concede that implementation will be difficult, but a similar ban in neighbouring Sikkim has seen significant results. Read more: ekantipur.com