Policy framework
Legal framework
Bhutan has National Legislation on waste management namely Waste Prevention and Management Act, 2009; Waste Prevention and Management Regulations, 2012; National Waste Management Strategy 2019; National Waste Management Flagship Program,2020;
Measures
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Measures |
Achievements |
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Prevention and reduction of plastic waste generation |
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Actions for encouraging sustainable / circular product design |
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Reduce and reuse of plastic waste Brief description: Making baskets out of plastic waste, bags woven by use of plastics |
We see a positive improvement from last two years |
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Measures |
Achievements |
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Environmentally sound waste management |
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Enforcement of proper waste management system |
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Monitoring by Dzongkhag and Thromde administrations; imposing of penalty; |
We see a positive improvement from last two years |
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Prevention of littering, illegal dumping and unintentional leakage of waste into the ocean |
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Cleaning campaigns, awareness, imposing fines |
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Measures |
Achievements |
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Cleanup of marine plastic litter |
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Collection of scattered waste on beach |
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Cleaning campaigns Brief description: once a month conducts cleaning campaigns and also collaborate with other stakeholders for mass cleanings, observes important days such as world water day or environment day by conducting mass cleaning campaigns |
We see a positive improvement from last two years |
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Removal of plastic litter from the ocean |
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Cleaning campaigns |
We see a positive improvement from last two years |
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Measures |
Achievements |
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Promotion of innovative solutions |
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Policy actions for encouraging plastic alternatives (e.g. biodegradable plastics, circular product design – including use of recycled materials or closed loop recycling and so on’) |
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Llimit the use of single use plastics esp. plastic carry bags and home-made ice cream pouches. Brief description: NECS provided clothes bags to reduce the use of single use plastic bags, use of water filter in offices or meeting is encouraged instead of using bottles water, no plastic cutlery is used in the meetings |
We see a positive improvement from last two years |
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Public-private partnerships for creating and implementing innovative solution |
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PPP model is practiced in Bhutan Brief description: Involvement of private sectors in waste management; encouraging entrepreneurs in waste business |
We see a positive improvement from last two years |
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Measures |
Achievements |
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Education and awareness raising |
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Education system for encouraging public awareness on MPL issues |
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Incorporated waste management in school curriculums of science textbooks for class 4-8 of Bhutan; development of SOP on waste management with Ministry of Educations |
We see a positive improvement from last two years |
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Awareness raising campaigns related to MPL |
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International / Regional level: Member of SACEP project on South Asia marine pollution project; |
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Measures |
Achievements |
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Monitoring & Scientific research on marine plastic litter |
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Actions for encouraging monitoring / scientific research on plastic flows and ocean surface microplastics |
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We see a positive improvement from last two years |
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Challenges
Check the challenges that your country has faced:
Recycling system improvement
Proper waste management system (including lack of local capacity)
Data collection related to waste in general
Data collection related to marine plastic litter
Lack of awareness among citizens, business, local governments
Lack of financial incentives for waste treatment in general
Lack of financial incentives for technology development
Project delays due to COVID-19
Best practices
(Please share in detail some best practices carried out on a national and local level, as well as ones initiated by the private sector, citizens, international cooperation, and international regional level, if any)
National level
National Environment Commission Secretariat Reinforced the ban on Limited plastic such as plastic carry bags, homemade ice cream pouches and doma wrappers in 2019.
NECS conducts cleaning campaigns along the rivers on World Environment Day and World Water Day
Distribution of clothes bags to vegetable vendors to propagate the use of reusable bags while shopping.
Thimphu Thromde discourage the offering of plastic packaged food in religious sites under its jurisdictions;
Local level
Many Districts promote the use of reusable bags for shopping instead of plastic bags. The water filters are also encouraged in offices. In many rural areas, people reuse the water bottles, plastic bags etc. they carry their own plates and cups while going for gathering, some use banana leaves as a plate instead of plastic cutlery’s.
Private sector
Private sectors in Thimphu makes fencing poles out of plastics, many women entrepreneur group produces plastic bags.
Samdrup Jongkhar Initiatives in eastern part of Bhutan adopted a town whereby the encourage the sustainable life style and reduces the use of plastics in the area.