February 2, 2026
THIMPHU – Bhutan banned plastic nearly three decades ago. Yet plastic bags still change hands at markets, PET bottles line highways, chip packets clog drains, and much of the waste ends up buried in landfills. While the ban exists on paper, in daily life, plastic remains difficult to avoid.
The problem is not a lack of intent or legislation. Rather, Bhutan’s plastic policy was designed for a different time – and has failed to evolve with changing patterns of consumption, limited enforcement capacity, and modern market realities.
The first plastic ban was introduced in 1999 through notifications issued by the National Environment Commission (NEC), targeting a narrow list of items: plastic carry bags, doma wrappers, and ice-cream pouches. These were considered high-impact, non-reusable plastics that almost invariably ended up in landfills. The ban has been reinforced several times, most recently in 2019, without significantly expanding its scope.
A Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) official said the approach was intentional. “The ban was conceived as a step-wise approach, beginning with a limited set of clearly identifiable plastic items, with the idea of eventually addressing other single-use plastics.”
Based on the reinforced notification, environmental clearance has not been issued for the establishment or manufacture of single-use plastic carry bags in Bhutan, the official said.
But while the ban remained narrow, Bhutan’s plastic economy changed dramatically. An NEC official involved in the early years of enforcement recalled that plastic was not widespread until the early 1990s.
“Civil servants returning from Bangkok brought plastic shopping bags as luxury items, while doma wrappers and homemade ice-cream pouches were imported from India,” the official said.
The ban was intended to last three years, during which time alternatives were to be introduced. That transition never fully materialised.
Today, the dominant plastics in the country’s waste stream come not from doma wrappers or ice-cream pouches, but from single-use plastic bags, PET bottles, and packaged consumer goods – items that fall outside the original notifications and remain legally permissible.
The DECC maintains that Bhutan does not lack a legal framework.
The Waste Prevention and Management Act of Bhutan, 2009, supported by the Waste Prevention and Management Regulation, 2012, and its 2016 amendments, covers all forms of waste and assigns implementation responsibilities to local governments, with the NEC providing overall coordination.
What Bhutan does not have is a plastics-specific law. The DECC official said a separate framework was not developed because the 2009 Act already covers all waste types, though the department acknowledged that plastics would be addressed more explicitly during the planned harmonisation of environment-related legislation.
The gaps in the current system help explain why plastic remains so visible. The ban notifications cover only a limited set of items. Single-use plastic bags continue to enter Bhutan from outside. While bulk imports are sometimes seized at border checkpoints, DECC admits that inconsistent enforcement, limited personnel, and resource constraints allow plastic carry bags to slip through.
Enforcement is shared among agencies. The NEC monitors compliance, while thromdes, dzongkhag administrations, and gewog authorities implement the rules. The Royal Bhutan Police assist when requested, although plastic enforcement is not part of their core mandate. Civil society organisations, media outlets, and individuals are also expected to contribute through awareness and civic responsibility.
In practice, enforcement has been uneven. The DECC acknowledged that inspections and penalties remain rare in many localities. Earlier, the NEC notifications prescribed fines of Nu 500 for a first offence and Nu 1,000 for a second, but markets still openly use plastic packaging and carry bags amid weak monitoring and the limited reach of the ban.
On the ground, this inconsistency is visible.
At Thimphu’s Centenary Farmers Market, sellers said plastic bags are often brought in discreetly alongside other goods. Once across the border, enforcement within the country is weak.
Shopkeepers also report pressure from customers, many of whom refuse to buy goods unless plastic bags are provided.
One shopkeeper said she purchases single-use plastic bags costing Nu 240 to Nu 270 per kilogramme. “It is an additional expense, but difficult to avoid. Without plastic bags, many customers refused to buy goods.”
The waste data reflects this reality.
Bhutan produces about 172 metric tonnes (MT) of waste each day, with Thimphu alone generating around 50 MT Plastics account for roughly 36 percent of total waste, and about 13 percent of plastic waste is estimated to end up in the riparian soils of the Wangchhu.
Much of the remaining plastic is sent to landfills, contributing to overflow and long-term environmental risks.
Although some material recovery facilities exist, they are insufficient to manage the volume of plastic waste generated. Confiscated plastics often end up in landfills, undermining the purpose of the ban. While reuse is frequently cited as a mitigation measure, weak recycling systems mean that most plastics eventually enter the waste stream.
The DECC also acknowledges limited awareness among lawmakers, enforcement bodies, shopkeepers, and the general public about the environmental impacts of plastic bags.
Evolving market practices and product substitutions have also created confusion about what is banned and what is permitted. DECC is exploring consolidated guidelines and public advisories to improve clarity and compliance.