During the Royal Thimphu College’s (RTC) program “Plastic Free Bhutan: Reinforce the Ban, Embracing Change,” which was held on June 5, 2024, Dasho Paljor J Dorji (popularly known as Dasho Benji), said it is not feasible to ban plastic completely. Instead, he emphasized the importance of educating people on responsible plastic use and encouraging alternatives to reduce plastic consumption.
A staunch environmentalist, Dasho Paljor said he submitted the same when the plastic ban initiative began in the late nineties. “I said don’t ban, because we will not be able to carry it out.” Further Dasho said that the culture of “banning” does not work. “We have to mange it properly.”
Dasho Benji further spoke about the need of students to practice what they learn at schools in their homes. He said that students are conscious about plastic waste issues. However, he said that students do not practice the same at home.
Meanwhile, the final-year Mass Communication students of Royal Thimphu College (RTC) who conducted the program to address the rising use of plastic products, submitted a petition to the Prime Minister (PM) to reinforce plastic ban in the country.
The students have called on the government to enforce the nation’s plastic ban. As part of their advocacy initiative, “Plastic Free Bhutan: Reinforce the Ban, Embracing Change,” the students submitted the petition through the agriculture and livestock minister, Lyonpo Younten Phuntsho.
Gracing the event, the minister highlighted the importance of individual contributions to saving the planet, emphasizing that everyone can make a difference by managing their waste and how individual efforts can go a long way in creating global impacts.
The event marked a significant step in the students’ ongoing campaign to combat plastic pollution. The campaign highlighted the importance of education and active participation in addressing environmental challenges.
The RTC organizers also secured a commitment from the RTC management to reduce the use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and single-use plastics in all college events. PET bottles are types of resin and a form of polyester, commonly labeled with the code on or near the bottom of bottles and other containers.
Meanwhile, the pledge of the college includes promoting the use of reusable water bottles and installing hydration stations on campus. “This pledge demonstrates our commitment to promoting sustainable practices and reducing plastic waste within our community,” the president of the College, Tshewang Tandin said.
Additional commitments from the college include adopting green procurement policies to prioritize the purchase of sustainable, plastic-free products and developing guidelines for organizing plastic-free events.
A panel discussion held during the event featured key stakeholders who explored the challenges and opportunities in enforcing the plastic bag ban.
Priya Rai, a final-year Mass Communication student, emphasized the need for collective action. “While policies to ban the use of plastics exist on paper, their implementation requires a joint effort from everyone. We cannot rely entirely on the government,” she said
The chairperson of the environment and climate change committee of the National Assembly, Pema Drukpa assured that the Parliament will come up with firm policies and acts to take on the plastic ban initiative.
Ahead of the main event, the student advocates conducted an extensive social media campaign that reached over 100,000 people on Facebook and TikTok, encouraging the public to switch to greener and more sustainable alternatives.
The program was funded by Rigsar Construction Pvt. Ltd. “As Bhutan continues to lead environmental conservation efforts, the students’ campaign highlights the crucial role of community involvement in achieving sustainable development goals,” one of the students said.
Meanwhile, Bhutan announced a ban on plastic bags in 1999, but it faced many challenges. Twenty years after the initial ban, Bhutan reinforced it nationwide ban on April 1, 2019. The National Environment Commission set fines of Nu 500 and Nu 1000 for businesses selling or using plastic pouches to wrap doma. These fines were aimed to reduce the use of plastic bags and encourage people to use eco-friendly bags.
However, the ban has not been successful.
By Sonam Lhamo, Thimphu
