Economic growth and changing consumption patterns are leading to a rapid increase in the production of plastic waste around the world. According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) (2009), global plastic consumption has now increased to 100 million tonnes, compared to 5 million tonnes in the 1950s. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council ( NRDC) (2008), every year, Americans use and throw away 100 billion plastic bags, generating tons of waste. Similarly, Australia uses 3.92 billion plastic bags and approximately 3.76 billion bags (20,700 tonnes) are thrown into landfills each year (Clean up, n.d.). South Asian countries like India consume around 8 million tonnes of plastic products and around 5.6 million tonnes (70%) of plastic bag waste is generated every year (Central pollution Control Board, 2013 ). In Bhutan, approximately 13% of municipal waste is plastic waste generated in urban areas (Phuntsho, Heart, Shon, Vigneswaran, Dulal, Yangden, & Tenzin, 2007). Therefore, in order to reduce plastic waste, the use of plastic bags is regulated and banned in countries like United States of America, Australia in 2009, Bangladesh in 2002, China in 2008, Delhi in India in 2009, Tanzania in 2012 and the Philippines in July 2013 (Surfrider Foundation, 2014). Similarly, Bhutan has seen increasing production of plastic waste; this is why Bhutan banned plastics in 1999 and strengthened the ban in 2005 and 2009 in an effort to reduce plastic waste. Although the use of plastic bags is implemented, it does not seem to have achieved the goal as plastics are still used even in 2014 in Bhutan. The strategy of banning plastic bags to reduce plastic waste has not worked in Bhutan and several countries around the world. Even after...... middle of document ......united nations environmental program. (nd). Waste. Accessed March 8, 2014, from http://www.unep.org/climatechange/mitigation/Waste/tabid/104349/Default.aspx United Nations Environment Program. (2009). Converting plastic waste into a resource. Accessed March 17, 2014, from http://www.unep.or.jp/Ietc/Publications/spc/WastePlasticsEST_AssessmentGuidelines.pdfUnited Nations Statistics Division. (2010). Environmental Glossary. Accessed March 8, 2014, from http://unstats.un.org/unsd/environmentgl/gesform.asp?getitem=1178World Bank. (2013). What waste: a global review of solid waste management. Accessed March 8, 2014, from http://go.worldbank.org/BCQEP0TMO0Youth Business International. (2013). Environmental Entrepreneur of the Year 2013. Retrieved March 19 from http://www.youthbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Karma-Yonten.pdf