Fri May 09 16:24:04 UTC 2025: ## Himalayan Cleanup Reveals Alarming Plastic Waste Crisis
**GUWAHATI, INDIA – May 9, 2025** – The Himalayan Cleanup (THC), a major anti-plastic pollution initiative, has released a shocking report revealing that single-use food and beverage packaging accounts for over 84% of plastic waste in the ecologically sensitive Himalayan region. The findings, presented at the Zero Waste Himalaya Network Meet in Bir, Himachal Pradesh, highlight a critical environmental crisis.
According to the Zero Waste Himalaya Alliance, a coalition of NGOs, approximately 70% of the collected plastic is non-recyclable and lacks market value. The alliance, spearheaded by Zero Waste Himalaya (Sikkim) and the Integrated Mountain Initiative (Uttarakhand), emphasized that the problem stems from production and systemic issues, not just individual consumer behavior.
The THC 2024 report, based on data from nine Himalayan states, shows a total of 121,739 pieces of trash collected, with 106,857 being plastic. Sikkim generated the most waste (44%), followed by West Bengal’s Darjeeling. The report details that 71% of food packaging plastic waste is non-recyclable, largely consisting of multilayered plastics and tetrapaks. This waste clogs waterways, landfills, and litters mountain landscapes.
The alliance is calling for urgent policy changes, including producer responsibility enforcement, a shift away from centralized waste systems, and increased resource allocation to address the interconnected challenges of waste, climate change, food security, and biodiversity in the Himalayas. This year’s cleanup involved organizations from Bhutan and Nepal, expanding the collaborative effort to address this pressing regional concern.
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