Plastic Bags (Regulation and Control) Directives, 2082 (2025-2026).

The Plastic Bag (Regulation and Control) Directive, 2082 (2025-2026) establishes requirements for the regulation, control, use and management of plastic bags in Nepal under the Environment Protection Act, 2076. Its principal objective is to reduce the environmental impacts associated with plastic bags by setting mandatory standards for their production, importation, storage, sale, distribution and use. The Directive prohibits plastic bags of less than 40 microns in thickness and generally requires bags to meet prescribed minimum sizes and material specifications. It also establishes labelling requirements, including the producer’s name and address, recycling symbol, thickness and dimensions, and distinguishes bags according to their intended use. In particular, bags used for foodstuffs, water and medicinal products must be of a natural colour and manufactured exclusively from virgin food-grade plastic granules.
The Directive further assigns specific obligations to producers, importers, sellers and users, including record-keeping, proper management of plastic waste, annual reporting and compliance with an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme under which producers and importers must manage plastic waste equivalent to at least 10 per cent of the plastic bags they produce or import. It promotes the 5-R approach, comprising reduction, reuse, replacement with environmentally friendly alternatives, recycling and recovery, and discourages unnecessary plastic-bag consumption and open burning. The Department of Environment is responsible for regulation and monitoring, while the Ministry of Forests and Environment may issue implementing directions. The Directive also provides for inspections and enforcement under environmental legislation and repeals the Plastic Bag (Regulation and Control) Directive, 2068, while preserving actions already taken under the repealed instrument.