Favourite Useable Bag Photos

I thought I would share how we are using reusable bags here in Nepal, since my favourite Canadian environmental organization decided that my photos were not suitable for their reusable bag mosaic.

No, I’m not bitter (maybe I am little), but nonetheless I thought I would share my photos and tell our Canadian story anyways (oh the power of the free web).

In Kathmandu, the rivers and in many streets are "literally" littered with trash – more specifically plastic bags. It’s horrible and disheartening and most of the locals that I have talked to our saddened by it.

Seeing disposed plastics bags lying around everyday and seeing merchants distribute them freely without a thought makes me consciously aware to remember to bring and use our reusable plastic bags where ever we go.

So much so that our local merchants remember us as the foreigners who bring their own bags; or the Nepali-looking guy with a funny accent that always says "Mero aphno jolaa chha! / I have my own bag" or "Jolaa chaindaina / don’t need a bag"). I also end off by saying "Plastic-ko jolaa chhainaa, pollution chhainaa / No plastic bags, no pollution". I usually get a smile and "Raamro chha / It is good!" in return.

So, SO much so that I think we are even inspiring people. One large department store (Blue Moon) in Lazimpat plans to offer reusable bags to it’s customers and may even offer discount incentives for future purchases. Very cool!

Below is a flickr set: "Using Reusable Bags and why".

Created with flickr slideshow.

Comments

3 comments on “Favourite Useable Bag Photos”
  1. Rex says:

    Alright! My photo just got accepted as part of WWF Canada’s Share it! Photo Mosaic: http://www.wwf.ca/takeaction/shareit/yourstory/mosaic/?imgId=458

  2. Rex says:

    To be fair (and to echo my better half’s point), waste is managed quite differently here. Waste from stores and households that do not have waste pick-up are simply piled into one corner/area of a street or gutter and then collected daily by city garbage collectors. Since there are no designated collection bins or collection areas, waste is basically piled up anywhere and out of the way of daily pedestrian or motor traffic. Suffice to say, garbage is visually evident.

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