Transforming plastic waste and empowering local lives by collecting over 400 tonnes of plastic waste per year in Nepal
Kathmandu is a cultural melting pot, known for being Nepal’s gateway to the Himalayas and home to a number of world heritage sites. Yet with a population of almost 1.5 million and a growing number of tourists each year, the region now generates a staggering 1200 tonnes of waste a day. Limited waste management systems and no recycling centres for low-grade plastics, mean plastic waste is often left on the streets and surrounding area, impacting human health and the surrounding ecosystems.
The Plastic Waste to Worth project is helping to tackle the region’s plastic problem by setting up a wide-reaching waste collection network and the country’s first plastic recycling and processing facility. The facility cleans, shreds and compresses plastic waste into composite boards which can be made into new high-quality marketable products.
As well as the environmental benefits of avoiding local plastic pollution , the project has a number of important social benefits. Strongly focusing on the empowerment of local community members, it provides training and workshops to employees on producing products out of low-grade plastic waste. Collaborating with multiple actors including, a local social enterprise, recyclers and Tetra Pak India, the income from the recycled products will support continued collection and recycling activities.
