Tourists visiting the state of Sikkim in India bring much-needed income for its citizens, but they also cause pollution through their use of plastic water bottles.
The Himalayan state has become the first to be certified 100 percent organic, and is popular as an eco-tourism destination. It has long suffered the ills of single-use plastic, having banned their use many years ago.
Return to Now reports that visitors are asked to leave their plastic bottles at the border, and replace them with reusable ones made out of bamboo.
Bamboo is fast-growing and plentiful in the state, and is used for a number eco-friendly products, including clothing, toothbrushes, and bed mattresses.
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The bamboo bottles are being made by a local businessman and are available at most shops.
The lid is also made of bamboo, and is made water-tight by the use of a cork top.