Imagine taking a stroll through beautiful mountain roads and encountering mounds of garbage. Many Himalayan cities and towns in India have been grappling with the issue of growing plastic waste and its disposal. Zero Waste Himalaya (ZWH) is a collective working towards waste management in the Himalayan region. Their frequent clean-up drives and brand audits have helped them understand the importance of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
EPR is a policy approach that places the onus of plastic waste on producers and packaging industries. These companies are expected to take responsibility for the waste they generate, ensuring its collection, recycling, reuse, and proper management. Through a brand audit, ZWH revealed a troubling trend: a staggering 84% of plastic waste originated from food packaging. Moreover, 77% of that was made up of multi-layered materials that are notoriously difficult to recycle, highlighting the urgent need for systemic change in packaging design and waste accountability.
In an interview with Citizen Matters, Priya Shrestha and Roshan Rai, members of ZWH, explain the importance of cutting down production of plastics, EPR and the challenges in managing waste in mountain cities, including the higher cost of transportation and finding space for decentralised processing. Priya and Roshan also recognise that the challenges in waste management do not only pertain to mountain cities but also to other urban cities in India. Thus, stricter EPR policies and cutting down the production of plastics become inevitable for better waste management.
Read the full interview below to understand the impact of waste in the Himalayan region: