<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111412114/6372213e9c7e80680e0c02a7jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125"/><figcaption>Photos: ARIA PARASAI</figcaption></figure>Throwaway <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/industrial-scale-litter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">plastic pollution</a> is turning into one of the biggest environmental problems of our times. Kathmandu alone uses up to 4,800,000 plastic bags a day, and 800 tons of this non-biodegradable material is dumped in landfill sites. One plastic bag takes 500 years to completely biodegrade, and they have now contaminated water, soil, air, and accelerated the climate crisis.The government’s attempts to ban polythene and single-use bags have failed each time due to the lobbying from powerful companies. And now the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-covid-19-plastic-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Covid-19 pandemic has added to the problem</a> with people going back to using more plastic material like masks, PPE, visors and gloves.Now, an organisation working on environmental sustainability is recycling plastic in an attempt to reduce and clean up the waste while also creating jobs. Creasion was founded in 2005 and is working in Chitwan and Kathmandu to recycle PET bottles through segregation and baling before repurposing them.“There is a lot of plastic and it is not going anywhere. The environmental elite can avoid using it, but for us the only way out is to recycle,” says Aanand Mishra, founder of Creasion. “We often see waste as something to get rid of, including plastic and tend to burn it. But we need to change this mentality. We see plastic as a raw material with a high monetary value that can also generate employment for youth.”Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/plastic-money/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Plastic money</a>, Samuel JonesUp to seven plastic types can be found in dumping sites, and the lowest grade plastics reduce the lifespan of the landfill. Of these, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles are the easiest and most recyclable. But Nepal does not have extended producer responsibility to recycle the plastic the factories manufacture. And in its absence, organisations like Creasion are taking up the task.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111412114/637221419c7e80680e0c02a8jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1295" height="1000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>The Recycler Sathi program was started in 2019 and is supported by the Coca-Cola Foundation. Creasion already recycles up to 300 metric tons of PET every month and plans now to move on to other plastic types such as PP (Polypropylene), PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) and MLP (Multi-Layered Plastic).<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/from-the-nepali-press/a-plastic-republic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Plastics thrown haphazardly</a> into rivers and streams cause flooding, and pollution, affects the water cycle and harms aquatic species and wildlife in the region. Microplastics have been found in Nepal’s rivers, and has been traced to human blood.Recycling can derive many benefits. On one hand, it cleans up the natural environment, and on the other, some 15,000 informal waste workers in Nepal predominantly from the Tarai and India can improve their living conditions and be financially independent.Through the Recycler Saathi program, Creasion works closely with waste workers by providing them compensation under a fair pricing system to sell plastic recyclables instead of paying middlemen. These workers are also trained to run their own enterprises, and receive fire extinguishers, helmets, shoes, gloves and jackets to work at collection sites and waste sorting centres.Read also: <a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/biodegradable-plastic-launched-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Biodegradable plastic launched in Nepal</a>“We work with the workers to provide them with training and safety tools. We also run development capacity training so that they regain dignity in the profession,” adds Mishra. “Waste management should be a formal occupation and the workers can contribute to the GDP.”Even so, most waste workers were initially reluctant when the organisation told them about fair pricing and safety measures -- since the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/what-will-nepal-do-with-its-e-waste/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">informal scrap recycling industry</a> was run by a syndicate. The Covid-19 pandemic turned out to be a boon for Creasion which was able to earn the trust of workers by providing them with rations, safety and even legal aid during the crisis.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111412114/637221449c7e80680e0c02a9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>A baling site supported financially by Creasion in Budhanilkantha is led by Sushila Kathayat and produces 12 bales of compressed plastic bundles a day each weighing over 80kg.“I have been working here for seven months 12 hours a day. After I dropped out of school I took up this work but this job has provided me a livelihood,” says Ram Prasad, one of the workers at the site.The large capacity collection and sorting site also supported by Creasion in Imadol  receives 1,500kg of waste a day and produces up to 10 bundles of compressed plastic which are sold at Rs65 each. The site also sorts other types of plastics, including PET bottles, and has 35 employees.Radha Gurung is another worker at the collection site in Bharatpur. The 35-year-old has been collecting waste since she was nine, but now she oversees other staff at the site. She says: “We have more female workers here and we get paid Rs700 a day. We and our families incur a huge loss if the site is closed even for a day.”Read also: <a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/from-the-nepali-press/pokharas-plastic-road/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pokhara's plastic road</a>https://youtu.be/DdEFPXsUXagCreasion is affiliated with three other similar sites in Bharatpur where the waste is collected by the metropolitan city and delivered to the sorting centres. Segregated PET bottles are then brought to the baling centre, and the one in Chitwan alone receives up to 600kgs of PET bottles a day which are then compressed into single bundles weighing 150kgs by three staff working eight hours a day.Most of the waste here used to be <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/a-load-of-rubbish-kathmandus-garbage-problem,4039" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">dumped at the riverside</a> by hotels and restaurants, but recently they have started giving PET bottles to Creasion after finding out that they will be paid for it.Bharatpur metropolis only has one dumping site near the Narayani River that flows down to the Chitwan National Park. It is unclear why a dumping site was chosen so close to a river, but the waste from the landfill spills into the river and pollutes water on which wildlife downstream depend.While a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/a-load-of-rubbish/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">poor waste management system</a> is part of the problem, the lack of awareness and change in attitude is another. Which is why Creasion has also reached out to 10 public schools in Bharatpur, Kasara and Sauraha covering up to 2,000 children with information on recycling.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111412114/637221489c7e80680e0c02aajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>The students have now formed Waste Smart Clubs where they learn about waste segregation at source and management. Club members from Grades 6-10 then teach their juniors what they have learned themselves. Students have also planted trees in their schools and homes with plans to plant more this World Environment Day on 5 June.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/everest-fights-back/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Everest fights back</a>, Alton C Byers“I also segregate waste at my home after teaching my parents about it,” says 11-year-old Aman, a member of his school's Waste Smart Club. “I plan to study more and give back to my community by informing them about important environmental issues like this.”Creasion has even set up a 'Waste Smart Museum' in Chitwan that showcases both the wildlife species and plastics. There are three buckets separated into biodegradable, non-biodegradable and plastic wastes. People initially ignored them and have now started using the bins. The organisation is also involved with replantation in areas previously deforested.<a href="mailto:info@creasion.org">info@creasion.org</a><a href="https://creasion.org">https://creasion.org</a>+977-1-4420784+977-1-4440085

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Refuse, recycle, reuse, repurpose plastic

<img width="1000" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121148/636ce5419c7e80680e0966f7jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><img width="1000" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121148/636ce5449c7e80680e0966f8jpeg.jpg" alt="">A Nepali company has tried to address the growing problem of plastic pollution in Nepal by manufacturing biodegradable plastic products.The Nepal government has tried and failed several times to impose a ban on single-use plastic, and the throwaway items have clogged drains and rivers across the country. Many of these take more than 500 years to decompose in dumping sites.Now, Kathmandu-based Jain Trading Concern is introducing plastic bags and other items that degrade within three months of disposal. Although this does not reduce the use of plastic, environmentalists say it is a first step in reducing the amount of garbage on landfill sites, dumping sites and rivers.Biodegradable plastic bags, garbage bags, straw, fork, spoon, grocery bags, stand up pouches, cling film and even bubble wraps are now available from Jain, or through <a href="https://www.daraz.com.np/shop/vegan-dairy-nepal/?spm=a2a0e.pdp.seller.1.16ca3968liAogf&amp;itemId=105545285&amp;channelSource=pdp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Daraz</a> and the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cleannepal2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CleanNepal2021 </a>campaign.  <img width="1000" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121148/636ce5469c7e80680e0966f9jpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="640" height="640" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121148/636ce5499c7e80680e0966fajpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="640" height="640" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121148/636ce54b9c7e80680e0966fbjpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="640" height="640" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121148/636ce54e9c7e80680e0966fcjpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="1500" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121148/636ce5509c7e80680e0966fdjpeg.jpg" alt="">"Our primary aim at the moment is to help switch from single-use plastic in offices, household dustbins to a biodegradable alternative," says Bunty Sethia of Jain Trading Concern. "Even though many people know about the dangers of plastic, eliminating it fully from our lives is difficult.” Sethia says that if alert consumers start boycotting single-use plastic asking manufacturers and service providers to use the biodegradable variety, it could be effective in reducing the solid waste management in Nepal.  Every year, nearly 2 million <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/industrial-scale-litter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">plastic bags are used once and thrown away</a> in Kathmandu Valley alone, making up 15% of all garbage that goes to landfill sites or is burnt. Every day, an estimated 150 tonnes of plastic end up in Nepal’s garbage dumps. Some cities like Ilam and Dharan have tried to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/from-the-nepali-press/a-plastic-republic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ban plastic bags altogether</a>, but it has been difficult to enforce. Others have banned the use of plastic below 30 microns in thickness that cannot be recycled. But there are more than 250 companies that import pellets needed for manufacturing plastic bags, and they have a strong lobby with the government—making previous bans ineffective.  Clean Nepal 2021, which has ‘Let's Restore Nepal's Beauty’ as its motto, is trying to spread awareness on environmental health and provide alternative options to the consumers.

Biodegradable plastic launched in Nepal

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141144/636baf6b9c7e80680e07804djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"/><figcaption>Photo: BIKRAM RAI</figcaption></figure>The coronavirus pandemic was a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/coronavirus-shutdown-gives-nepals-nature-a-respite/">respite for nature</a> everywhere. The <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-lockdown-proves-air-quality-can-be-improved/">air was cleaner</a>, trekking trails were pristine, the summit of Mt Everest <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/mt-everest-deserted-on-anniversary-of-1st-climb/">was deserted</a>, and worldwide carbon emission dipped by -26%.However, there are dark clouds in that silver lining. The COVID-19 crisis has unleashed a plastic pandemic, reversing the achievement of a decade of <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/recycle-reuse-reduce-garbage-kathmandu,1279">activism against single-use plastic</a> worldwide, including Nepal.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/protecting-those-who-protect-us-from-the-epidemic/">Personal protective gear</a> (PPE) like disposable gowns are made from polyester or polyethalene. Surgical masks and N95 respirators are made from non-woven polypropylene fibre. Face shields and visors use polycarbonate or polyvinyl choloride. Coveralls are made with high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Most of these are single-use plastic.During the peak of the outbreak, hospitals in Wuhan produced <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/07/plastic-waste-management-covid19-ppe/">more than 240 tons of waste per day</a> against 40 tons normally – with most of the waste being plastic PPEs. The United States is projected to generate an entire year’s worth of medial waste in just two months dealing with COVID-19, according to Frost &amp; Sullivan.  The Thai government has reported an increase in plastic and styrofoam waste from 1,500 tons a day to 6,300 tons daily due to soaring home deliveries of food.In Nepal, there are no exact figures but evidence suggests there has been a big increase in plastic waste from provision stores, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/lockdown-brings-out-the-best-in-nepalis/">relief distribution</a> to the destitute during the lockdown, and quarantine centres. For lack of better alternatives, aid workers use plastic plates and utensils for meal distribution and well as polythene bags and thin single-use plastic for relief packaging.“From a humanitarian angle the use of plastic for medical purposes and in relief is important, but it has long term environmental impact. Which is why we need a replacement for cheap and easily accessible single-use plastic,” says Shilshila Acharya of the Himalayan Climate Initiative.She adds, “Another emerging problem is the improper disposal of face masks. These are made of polypropylene and are even worse than plastic because they are even more difficult to recycle and reuse.”Across South Asia, cities are experiencing <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/dont-just-blame-god-for-floods-and-landslides/">worse floods</a> because of waterways choked by plastic waste. Plastic pollution in Nepal has been known to worsen the impact of floods during the monsoon by clogging up drains and rivers, as happened in Bhaktapur and Thimi in 2018 after a sudden squall.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141144/636baf6e9c7e80680e07804ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="607"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Bhaktapur Mayor Sunil Prajapati says Hanumante River in his municipality invariably bursts its banks even through it is not a big river because of blocked drainage.  He told Nepali Times: "The river is like a gutter. It gets flooded every year because waste materials block the outlets and drainage.”A three-year regional study by ICIMOD (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development)’s  <a href="https://www.icimod.org/initiative/sandee/">SANDEE</a> (South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics) shows that 12.7% Bharatpur and 22.3% of Sylhet in Bangladesh cities are at the risk of flooding in lack of proper solid waste management system. Unblocking drains would limit flooding to 5.5% in Bharatpur, the report says.Mani Nepal, who worked on the study says: "Solid waste, including plastic, must be properly managed to reduce the risk of long-term flooding in cities. Just building sewers will not solve the problem. Plastic pollution is already a major cause of floods, it can be disastrous in future.”More than a million plastic bags are used once and thrown away in Kathmandu Valley every day, and it now forms more than 16% of the city’s garbage. Of the 204 tons of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/from-the-nepali-press/a-plastic-republic/">plastic waste</a> generated in Nepal every day, 131 tons end up in the streets, drains, rivers and some of it makes it to landfill sites.Plastics, being petroleum based, take at least 500 years to biodegrade, killing aquatic and land animals, and microplastics have found their way into the human food chain. Harmful chemicals can alter hormones and chromosomes in the human body, leading to cancer and damage to the reproductive system.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdq9t9bdanQ&amp;authuser=0The Nepal government has repeatedly tried to enforce a ban on single-use plastics, but industrialists enjoying political protection <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/industrial-scale-litter/">have sabotaged all previous attempts</a>.Former Environment Minister Ganesh Shah tried but failed to implement a plastic ban he introduced in 2008. Plastic Bag Regulation and Control Guideline introduced in 2011 was not effective either in discouraging plastic use. A Gazette notice on 14 April 2015 announced a ban on bags thinner than 30 microns, but it was overshadowed by the earthquake only 10 days later.The ICIMOD study also revealed that the state of garbage disposal significantly affects real estate prices which are on an average 25% higher and up to 57% higher in areas with proper solid waste management system. Similarly, the price of a house with a blocked sewer is at least 11% lower.An estimated 70% of the daily domestic waste in Nepal’s cities are biodegradable, but it is not customary to segregate garbage. Often, organic and non-perishable waste are disposed together in plastic bags. Garbage collectors also do not sort the waste, which is why they end up directly at the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/making-money-from-garbage-in-kathmandu,2055">landfill in Sisdole</a> which is fast becoming a plastic mountain.Sorting garbage at home has been shown to significantly reduce the volume of waste, allowing households to make their own compost, <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/a-load-of-rubbish-kathmandus-garbage-problem,4039">recycle and reduce</a> as well as reduce the cost of garbage collection. Pre-determining time and day and placing for communal garbage collection and placing trash cans for pedestrians are other ways to prevent haphazard disposal of solid waste.Bharatpur residents pay Rs30-100 a month for garbage collection and say they are willing to pay up to 30% more for proper waste management. This is an additional Rs5 million more than what the municipality has been charging for waste management. “This means local governments could better manage the problem of solid waste without too much effort, this requires only the will to implement,” says Mani Nepal.Ward 10 of Bharatpur has been trying to reduce waste at source by <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/nepali-entrepreneur-turns-trash-into-cash/">buying plastic waste from households</a> at Rs9 per kg, which it then sells to plastic recycling industries. The municipality also provides subsidy to those who want to turn their organic waste into biogas.Bharatpur has shown that if there is political will, plastic waste can be reduced. And by not dumping plastic in drains and rivers, it is also protecting wildlife along the Narayani River in Chitwan National Park directly downstream.The good news is that the global movement against the use of plastic is also having an effect in parts of Kathmandu. Polythene are being replaced by re-usable bags in shopping malls, restaurants and hotels discourage straws and plastic wrappings, and paper plates have replaced Styrofoam at some party venues.While plastic-based PPEs have been vital in preventing the spread of the COVID-19 and are life savers for frontline health workers, if the SARS-CoV-2 persists longer there may have to be a move towards paper packaging and materials.Says Shilshila Acharya: “The prolonged lockdown has meant that people are purchasing less, and are using fewer plastic items. We can build on this momentum to reduce plastic pollution in future.”

Sonia Awale

The COVID-19 plastic pandemic

<img width="1400" height="1059" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107121148/6368f0729c7e80680e0359d4jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>An integral part of modern lifestyle and the global market, plastic is an essential component in the latest gadgets and luxury goods, and in packaging everything from electric appliances to food items. Around the world, governments are under growing public pressure to ban single use plastic, to use less and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/plastic-money/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recycle</a> everything. Rwanda, and even parts of Somalia have banned plastic. There is no reason why Nepal cannot do the same, but <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/industrial-scale-litter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">repeated government efforts to ban plastic bags</a> have failed. Hetauda restricted the use of plastic bags some 20 years ago, but was unsuccessful.More than 1 million plastic bags are used once and thrown away in Kathmandu Valley every day, and it now forms more than 11% of the waste. Of the 204 tons of plastic waste generated in Nepal every day, 131 tons end up in garbage piles and dumping sites.Plastic is contaminating our water sources and the soil, it ends up in cattle feed, and is a major threat to fisheries. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/bhaktapur-inundated/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The floods in Bhaktapur</a> last week were partly blamed on <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Buzz-plastic-wars,612" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plastic garbage blocking drains</a> .When Denmark started charging for plastic bags, it reduced use by 66%. Similarly, Ireland taxed 0.15 euros per bag and brought down use by a whopping 94%. London has also been able to control plastic use since it started charging 5 pence per bag.Nepal can learn from these examples, which suggest that taxing is more effective than a blanket ban.Nepal lags far behind, both in policy and implementation, despite importing plastic materials worth Rs 22billion annually and earning Rs 6billion in excise tax. Because of the source of revenue, and the lobbying by industries, a blanket ban is not realistic.Plastic Bags Regulation and Control Directive restricts production, sale and use of plastic bags below 30 microns. Our studies have revealed that while municipalities like Byas, Hetauda, Ilam, Damak, Palpa and Pokhara have banned the use of plastic bags thinner than 30 microns and black polythene, the use is increasing in Ghorahi, Dharan and Mechinagar. <img width="721" height="491" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107121148/6368f0759c7e80680e0359d5jpeg.jpg" alt="">On average, a family uses 10 plastic bags per week. This means if a person is charged Rs200 for plastic bags below 30 microns, its use can be reduced to zero. When Ilam municipality implemented a penalty of Rs223, it could reduce the use of plastic bags to almost zero. Whereas in areas with full restriction, the use never went down to zero, even when businessmen and consumers were in support of the ban.On average, plastic materials are charged 34% tax, which isn’t high compared to other items. Timely monitoring is equally important. We observed 282 travellers in 24 municipalities during our survey. Most of them didn’t carry a spare bag from home, but 9% carried plastic bags, 11% of people in areas with partial restriction were found to be carrying plastic bags while only 1% did in municipalities with full restrictions.In addition to monitoring, we have to communicate through mass media that officers are out to catch offenders and make them pay, as well as broadcast recent arrests and penalties. We can <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=17704#.W1B97tUzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mobilise communities</a> and demonstrate street plays to increase the effectiveness of the campaign.If we are to successfully implement the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/plastic-free-new-year,2174" target="_blank" rel="noopener">restriction and penalty</a> in Kathmandu, we will save more than Rs 500 million in <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18627#.W1B_ZtUzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plastic bag waste</a>. But more than this, we will be<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/virtuous-cycle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> saving the future generations of Nepalis</a> from dealing with our waste.Bishal Bhardwaj, Rajesh umar Rai, Mani Nepal and Muktinath Subedi in Himal Khabarpatrika (8-14 July)Also read: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/recycle-reuse-reduce-garbage-kathmandu,1279" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Recycle, reuse, reduce</a>, Donatella Lorch<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=14186#.W1B_adUzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rubbish Life</a>, Nayantara Gurung Kakshapati

A Plastic republic

<figure><img width="1236" height="737" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107121148/6368f0779c7e80680e0359d6jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>onlinekhabar.com</figcaption></figure>Keshav Sharan Lamichhane in Annapurna Post, 17 JulyYouth in Pokhara have shown the way to recycling plastic by paving a section of road with the non-biodegradable waste (pictured, above).  Plastic wrappers from noodles, biscuits, milk packets and tobacco were used to blacktop 100m of Anupam Marg in Pokhara-14, and the section was inaugurated by Pokhara Mayor Man Bahadur GC. Green Road Waste Management introduced plastic into the traditional bitumen mixture, reducing the amount of expensive asphalt concentrate to make cheaper, longer-lasting and environmentally friendly roads.The plastic waste is first processed into pellets, then boiled at 160 Celsius with other components including asphalt. Of the 2,475 litres of bitumen used in the blacktopping of Anupam Marg, up to 16% was plastic and cost only Rs20,000. “The use of plastic saves Rs200,000 per km of road. This means if we are to pave 200km of road, it will save us Rs20 million,” said civil engineer Rajiv Subedi of Green Road Waste Management. Subedi spent a week in Bhutan learning about the technology, first introduced in India in 2001. So far, 100,000 km of roads in India and 200 km in Bhutan have been blacktopped using plastic. Kathmandu can learn from Pokhara, given how much plastic is piling up in garbage on the streets. “Using plastic to pave roads is an appropriate alternative to the Valley’s growing plastic pollution,” said Sanjeev Bastola, founder of the Green Road Waste Management. “Roads blacktopped with plastic have higher load-bearing capacity, are water resistant, and durable.”Also read: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/plastic-money/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Plastic money</a>, Samuel Johns<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/making-money-from-garbage-in-kathmandu,2055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rupees from rubbish</a>, Sahina Shrestha

Pokhara's plastic road

Climber, expedition leader and later a supplier of bottled oxygen to Himalayan mountaineers, Henry Barclay Todd died on 3 November 2025 in his favourite place on earth, Kathmandu.&nbsp;
Todd was larger than life, a metaphor often used, yet it could not be more fitting. Standing nearly 2m tall, and possessing an unshakeable will, he lived life on a grand scale, both in body and spirit.&nbsp;
Todd was a pillar in the Himalayan climbing community, supporting many mountaineers across Nepal and Pakistan, making it possible for them to fulfil the dream of standing on the world’s highest peaks. He believed deeply in the strength, skill, and potential of the Sherpa people, and offered them opportunities that might otherwise have remained out of reach.&nbsp;
“Thank you, Henry. Your trust changed my life. Rest in peace, my leader, my teacher, my friend,” said Dorjee Gyelzen Sherpa in his tribute.
Born in 1945 to Royal Air Force officer Henry Todd and May Todd of the Women’s Royal Air Force, Henry spent his early years in Singapore. He led a lively childhood with his two brothers, far removed from the mountains that would later define his path.&nbsp;
A gifted swimmer like his father, Henry never pursued the sport professionally. Instead, after returning to Dundee as a teenager and attending seven different schools, he set off for London, where he began working for an insurance company before finding his true calling in adventure.
Henry Todd first came to Nepal in the mid-1980s and made his first attempt on Ama Dablam in 1987, an expedition that marked the beginning of an extraordinary and colourful climbing career. <a href="https://www.himalayandatabase.com/" target="_blank">The Himalayan Database</a> lists 61 expeditions that he led in Nepal alone — there were more in the Karakoram, Argentina and the Alps.&nbsp;
But Todd would joyfully say that a few hard Scottish ascents held a more personal meaning to him than even the greatest Himalayan summits.
Over the decades, he crossed paths with many legendary climbers like Anatoli Boukreev, Jerzy Kukuczka, Doug Scott and Chris Bonington as well as celebrities including members of Pink Floyd and Nobel Prize laureates whom he befriended.&nbsp;
He had a gift to never name-drop, but would simply mention that he had had lunch with Minnie Driver (niece of his long-time friend Andra) or that he had bought his first car from Donald Sutherland. For Todd, these were not bragging rights, they were simply part of the colourful tapestry of his life.
Todd’s life was filled with extraordinary experiences from surviving plane crashes, avalanches and earthquakes to quietly solving countless problems, which was one of his favourite past-times. His hands, famously large and steady, were always ready to help whether in the chaos of the mountains or the calm of a base camp.&nbsp;
With his sharp sense of humour and the beloved exclamation “Whoopie!”,he could bring lightness even to the toughest moments. He never tired of taking on challenges or helping when someone was in need, and he enriched so many people’s lives with his endless stories.
His legacy is immense. He helped build the human backbone of Himalayan climbing, enabling generations of climbers to test themselves in the world’s highest places. With his passing, an era of bold, spirited Himalayan guiding has come to a close.
Todd survived by a loving family, many close friends and a global community of climbers and Sherpas who will never forget him and his endless tales.&nbsp;
His family said in a statement: ‘Henry’s strength, warmth and unyielding belief in others will live on far above the clouds. He was indestructible in our eyes and in our hearts, he always will be.’
There will be a memorial service at Pashupati Temple in Kathmandu on 8 November 2025 around lunchtime.

Henry Barclay Todd, 80

The autumn mountaineering season is not over yet, and already there have been 12 fatalities on Himalayan peaks in Nepal.
Of the 1,450 climbing permits issued, 436 were for Mt Ama Dablam (6,812m), 374 for Mt Manaslu (8,163m) and 186 for Himlung Himal (7,126m). There were deaths on all three mountains.
The death of two French climbers on Ama Dablam happened before unseasonal blizzards hit the mountains. But Cyclone Montha from the Bay of Bengal brought on high winds and up to 1m of snow in the peak trekking and mountaineering season.
This increased avalanche conditions, and made helicopter evacuation of stranded and injured climbers difficult. Lower down the mountains, more than 1,000 trekkers from Nepal and around the world were stuck in the Annapurnas, Manaslu circuit and the Khumbu.
However, there have also been allegations that it was not just the weather that delayed rescues. Multiple levels of bureaucracy and the need for flight permits to restricted areas like Manang and Manaslu critically delayed evacuation flights.
Italian climbers Farronato Stefano and Caputo Alessandro were found dead in their tent at Panbari Himal Camp I (6,887m) in the Manaslu area. They had been trapped by heavy snowfall since 28 October, and their bodies were found on 4 November by a team from the expedition organisers, Sherpa Alpine Trekking Service. The team was made up of high level mountain guides and expedition leader Valter Perlino.
The team had been climbing to Camp 3 but decided to descend to base camp because of thrombosis in Perlino’s left foot. The two climbers who would eventually get trapped decided to break at Camp I, a decision that would prove fatal after the projected six-day snowfall arrived two days early.
“They were sleeping in a tent and were buried under 2.5 metres of compacted snow. It happened during the night between Thursday and Friday. While they were sleeping, absurd,” said Perlino.
A deadly incident took place the morning of 3 November, when five foreigners and two Nepalis died in an avalanche on Yalung Ri at 5,630m in the Rolwaling. They were part of a larger group of 15 that were acclimatising for an attempt on the nearby Dolma Khang (6,332m).
Local authorities in Gauri Shankar Conservation Area say calls were immediately made to helicopter companies as well as various ministries in Kathmandu that have to issue permits to fly to the region bordering China.
But the permits for rescue flights to Rolwaling Valley were delayed by eight hours. Rescue flights in these areas require permission from the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Defence, the Home Ministry, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).
Experts say this should be exempted in times of emergency when time is of the essence. CAAN spokesperson Pratap Babu Tiwari claimed to not know of the avalanche on Yalung Ri and deflected questions to the permission department.&nbsp;
There was a similar tragedy on Himlung Himal in Manang as well. Australian Chin-Tark Chan, 49, was climbing with 8K Expeditions and fell ill on 27 October at about 6,800m, developing snow blindness and loss of mobility. The guides immediately called the US insurance company Global Rescue for authorisation of a longline rescue.
Global Rescue refused, saying a rescue at that height would violate Nepal’s aviation rules and put the pilot at unacceptable risk. They asked the guides to transport Chan to Camp 3 at 6,400m to a permitted altitude. Seeing it was a life-or-death situation for its client, 8K called in an aerial rescue anyway, but the helicopter could not land due to bad weather. Chan died slightly below Camp 3 on 29 October.
Global Rescue said in a statement that it was ready to send in a helicopter after Chan had been transported to Camp 3, but several hours were lost for that attempt, and the weather did not get better in the next few days.
To underscore just how dangerous helicopter rescues in the Himalaya can be in bad weather, a chopper from Altitude Air skidded off the helipad at Lobuche below Mt Everest while trying to rescue trekkers in whiteout conditions.&nbsp;
CAAN announced a ban on flights during blizzards or dense fog. While rescue missions are often heroic and courageous, they should not be foolhardy if conditions are unsafe and the risk to pilots and rescuers too high. This autumn was a lesson for future expeditions and for the Nepal government.&nbsp;
The Italian duo on Panbari were caught out by snow that arrived two days ahead of schedule, but the group on Yalung Ri should have postponed their ascent after multiple warnings from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology to avoid high altitudes.

Deadly autumn in Himalayan climbing

This is the 73rd episode of Diaspora Diaries, a Nepali Times series in collaboration with Migration Lab providing a platform to share experiences of living, working and studying abroad. I don’t remember playing with dolls as a little girl. There is not much to remember from my childhood.&nbsp; My responsibilities began at a very young age, as I had two younger brothers to take care of. I was born in Sarlahi, but we moved around quite a bit as my father was in the government and got transferred frequently.&nbsp; From Rasuwa to Dang, from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu. I struggled to adjust in Kathmandu because I joined Grade 9 in the middle of the term. The education was different and fellow students also did not support me initially. But over time, I adjusted and made friends. I did not dream of becoming a nurse. It was by accident. I wanted to pursue medicine, but failed the entrance exam by a few marks. I did not want to lose a year, so decided to take up microbiology instead.&nbsp; I got married after my undergraduate, and my husband encouraged me to take up something more technical like nursing or engineering instead of Masters in Microbiology. As my quantitative background was weak, I chose nursing. I felt like I was born to be a nurse. Juggling my married life and studies was difficult. My teachers would often ask me why I am falling behind. It was not easy, but I managed and took up a full-time job as a nurse. There are challenges being a nurse in Nepal. You are overworked, underpaid, there is lack of appreciation. Superiors can be overbearing. These problems persist. But the bright spot is that you get to serve fellow Nepalis, and be close to your family.&nbsp; Just like I had no intention initially of becoming a nurse, I had no intention of migrating overseas. But life had different plans for me. After my baby boy was born, I noticed that something was off. Even at nine months he had not started crawling or sitting. As a nurse I knew something was wrong, and I took him for check-ups. He tested negative for down syndrome, but he had a heart defect.&nbsp; The cardiologist recommended that I take him to India where he was diagnosed with Williams Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects 1 in 10,000 people. It delayed his development. I looked for therapy. It was either not effective, or too expensive. Some schools also refused to admit him, and it drove me to tears.&nbsp; My family members overseas in the UK, US told me to emigrate as there were better facilities for differently abled children. So I decided to apply to the UK. Luckily just then there were calls for candidates under the Nepal-UK government-to-government pilot scheme for 100 nurses. Only 40 met the criteria, and I was one of them.&nbsp; I still remember the day I received the news on the day of my puja. There were people around me, and they told me that it was the result of my fasting and devotion on that auspicious day. Perhaps it was. Life was taking a new turn, and I was happy. I made it to the UK in February 2024 without paying a single paisa to any broker. The G2G scheme was unique as we were treated with dignity and valued for our skills: they covered costs for the ticket and visa, reimbursed us for exams we had taken and costs involved in the preparation and testing of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination were also covered.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20251106071148_dc5a0d0ea3024b34a4f2735754f8eb67a650bc7f61b98c75d589676c65b02a0c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20251106071148_dc5a0d0ea3024b34a4f2735754f8eb67a650bc7f61b98c75d589676c65b02a0c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="1600" loading="lazy" alt="Nurses NT"> </figure>  It was of course difficult to leave my son behind. But I was doing it for his future. I had the option of taking him from the start, but it was a new place and I wanted to be well-settled and knowledgeable about the options available for him before bringing him along. As I packed, he would ask me to take him with me in my suitcase. It did not seem like he was affected by my departure, and it was only later that his teachers said that he would express his feelings more openly at school. He just did not know how to tell me he missed me, and he would tell teachers he was worried I had forgotten him if we did not speak for a day.&nbsp; He missed me, and that realisation made me emotional. But I had to carry on. Life in the UK was difficult in the beginning. Even so, I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. Fortunately I had cooperative staff who patiently answered my questions. I think I would have been irritated if I were in their place. But they did not seem to mind, and their support and guidance made it easy for me to adjust to the new work environment. APPRECIATION I still struggle to understand the accent of my English patients, and have ask the matron for help. They compliment me on my English, but I can speak better than I understand. The good thing about working in the UK is that you are appreciated for your work, which can be motivating. Sometimes, after a long day’s work you get a message from your supervisor acknowledging your work with a thank you. That’s enough to erase your tiredness.&nbsp; So far I have received 32 WOW nominations which are acknowledgements from patients for a job well done. It can be motivating, especially in the beginning. The main difference between the Alpana who first left Kathmandu for the UK and the Alpana now is that I am a much more confident person. What makes a good nurse? Skills, knowledge and qualifications are of course a given. But mostly, you need humanity. A smiling face. The way you communicate. Your empathy. These attributes can already solve many problems that patients are facing. This is my second time back home in the last 20 months. And this time, I have arranged for my son’s visa. I will go back after Tihar with my son and husband.&nbsp; I am happy, but also a little nervous about what awaits us. What kind of school will I put him in? Will it really be different from schools here? Will his needs be addressed? Will it be like here, or will he be able to adjust?&nbsp; But I am determined to make it work. Success for me would be if he adjusted well and there is a change in his condition. He still cannot recognise alphabets and read words like kids in his age group. Hopefully he will get learning support in the UK. He also has a knack for music, and this is common among individuals with Williams Syndrome. His ears perk up when he hears music, and he takes part in musical events at school. He still does not recognise letters &nbsp;but he uses voice commands to search for guitar videos on YouTube. I will enrol him in music classes, and help him develop this gift. For now, I worry how he will behave on his long flight. He has a short attention span and gets restless. He is also very social and will want to speak with everyone around him, and might irritate fellow passengers.&nbsp; I have already started trying to make him understand that he will need to behave on the flight. He nods in agreement. Let’s see how it goes. &nbsp;

“I felt like I was born to be a nurse”

A month after September’s GenZ movement in Nepal, nurses working in private hospitals took to the streets demanding better work conditions, and salaries equal to what government nurses are paid.&nbsp;
The strike started at Pokhara’s Manipal Teaching Hospital before spreading nationwide, and nurses working at government hospitals joined in.&nbsp;
Nurses at private hospitals are forced to work for far less than Nepal’s minimum monthly wage of Rs19,550 — without overtime, breaks, and other benefits and under physically and mentally taxing conditions. This is driving many qualified nurses to emigrate.
For newly-appointed Health Minister Sudha Sharma Gautam in the interim government, the strike became her first order of business. She met representatives of the Nursing Association of Nepal (NAN), the protesting nurses, and others from the health sector.&nbsp;
An agreement was reached under which private hospitals and medical colleges will pay nurses a minimum monthly salary of Rs34,730. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
“It is a shame that nurses have been working under such exploitative conditions all this time” says Radha Adhikari, at the School of Health and Life Sciences of the University of the West of Scotland. “The agreement is basic, and there is a long way to go to improve their working conditions. But it is a start.”
NAN chair Chandrakala Sharma has said the ministry’s task force to look into working conditions will also look into facilities for nurses in government hospitals.&nbsp;
“We are committed to solidifying the wage agreement by amending relevant laws within this month,” Sharma said in a video posted by NAN on Facebook. “Our movement is not over, we are still protesting and &nbsp;following up with the Ministry.”
NAN issued an ultimatum to the government to implement the agreements within 48 hours. That deadline has now lapsed and the nurses are back on strike. Many of those protesting now accuse NAN of betraying them.
Jyoti Ranabhat of the Nurses Struggle Committee was present in the meeting, but refused to sign the agreement. “It did not address what we were demanding, we will now go it alone into Plan B,” she tells Nepali Times.&nbsp;
Previous grievances of the nurses did result in similar agreements, but private hospitals failed to comply with government’s past directives — most recently the minimum salary and benefit determined by the state in December 2024.&nbsp;
The Nepal Nursing Council says there are 126,580 registered nurses, specialists, midwives, and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) professionals in Nepal. Yet, nursing positions at hospitals remain vacant.&nbsp;
The reason for understaffing is a mass emigration of medical professionals, including nurses. Nursing student enrollment is also declining and there is disinterest in a profession that does not afford health workers quality of life, respect, or dignity.
“Our fight is not with the private sector, it is by definition profit-oriented, our grievance is with the state,” says Ranabhat. “The government is responsible to provide us dignity, respect, and fair pay.”&nbsp;
GREENER PASTURES
Poor pay and working conditions are driving doctors and nurses abroad in large numbers in recent years. Many have simply quit the profession, leading to a shortfall in medical professionals. 

The shortage of nurses is a global phenomenon, and countries like the US, UK and Australia have compensated for their own shortage by offering jobs from countries like the Philippines, India and Nepal.&nbsp;
Nepal Nursing Council data shows that outmigration of nurses rose sharply after 2002, and an estimated &nbsp;20,000-45,000 nurses have left since.
“The state’s denial, derision, and disregard of nurses has caused resentment and disillusionment in the community, driving nurses out,” says Ranabhat. “Ultimately, Nepalis will pay the price when there are no nurses left here.”
Many Nepali nurses who have gone abroad are happy with the respect and quality of life in their jobs abroad. But many others face exploitative recruiters in Nepal and employers abroad. Nursing consultancies have mushroomed as nursing colleges struggle to meet demand.&nbsp;
Adhikari herself worked at United Mission Hospital Tansen before moving to the UK 30 years ago, and remembers that working conditions then were much better for nurses.&nbsp;
“Nepal’s health sector has gone downhill since privatisation,” she states. “Medical colleges are only concerned with supplying doctors and nurses internationally, because that is what makes money.”
But once Nepal’s nurses are abroad, there is no guarantee that they will have jobs in the nursing sector. Many find themselves working outside their field of expertise, in hospitality or sales.&nbsp;
“Nepal has become a production hub for nurses, and Nepali nurses have become products for export,” adds Ranabhat. &nbsp;“People might think this will add to remittances, but no one is thinking about what will happen to Nepal’s health sector.”&nbsp;
For many, nursing has become a way out of Nepal rather than a vocation. In 2022, the government signed an agreement with the UK to send Nepali nurses to work there at zero cost, with benefits and protection equal to UK nurses.&nbsp;
The pilot phase was expected to recruit 100 nurses, and applications opened in July 2023, with 45 nurses said to be selected by Britain’s NHF representatives by the end of 2023. Forty-one of them obtained labour permits.&nbsp;
They may be treated well, but the reality of working in the international health sector is not as straightforward.
Radha Adhikari told us from Scotland: “Market saturation, exploitation, discrimination based on race, gender, and foreignness prevent nurses from finding the right, respectful jobs even here. Ultimately, migration cannot be sustainable for Nepal’s nurses.”

plastic-pollution