Breaking the Waste Cycle: From Trash to Transformation

Written by Rijuta Dutt  Photos by Waste Warrior Society

---

Region: Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand 

Organisation: Waste Warrior Society 

Area of Work: Waste Management, Community Engagement, Advocacy

About Waste Warriors Society:

Waste Warriors Society is dedicated to waste management and cleanliness in India. The NGO aims to create a cleaner, greener, and waste-free nation by promoting civic responsibility and effective waste management practices. Waste Warriors engages communities in waste reduction, recycling, and awareness campaigns to achieve its mission.

The majestic peaks of the Himalayas, long seen as symbols of purity and serenity, now face a growing crisis—one that is cropped out of picture-perfect sceneries but revealed in plastic bottles, snack wrappers, and disposable items strewn across trails and settlements. While irresponsible tourism has amplified this issue, the challenge runs deeper. The absence of proper waste systems has left mountain communities grappling with a burden they were never equipped to manage.

Traditionally, in regions where formal disposal systems are scarce, non-biodegradable waste is often burnt, buried, or tossed down the cliffs or into fast-flowing rivers, which compounds the problem. These methods, born from necessity, now pose environmental risks as waste lingers in cold climates, decomposing at a painfully slow pace. This situation puts biodiversity at risk and places the burden of waste management on local communities, all while contributing to a larger environmental crisis.

Without systemic interventions, the mountains face not just the visible scars of litter but a deeper environmental imbalance that demands thoughtful, collective change.

The Lack of a Mountain Waste Narrative

The waste crisis in the Himalayan region is no longer just a consequence; it’s a complex challenge that locals are left to manage. For years, there was little non-biodegradable material generated by the local mountain communities. But today, the narrative has shifted, with an overwhelming influx of waste now flowing into the region.

While tourism undoubtedly brings economic benefits, it has also introduced a significant increase in disposable plastics. Trails and settlements bear the marks of this influx, with litter lingering on popular routes and accumulating in villages.

Adding to this burden is a shift in local consumption patterns. As e-commerce gains popularity in remote regions, packaging waste like plastic wraps, thermocol, and cardboard has surged. Without robust collection systems or proper recycling infrastructure, much of this waste is either dumped in open spaces or burnt, further harming the fragile mountain ecosystem.

Driving Change: The Role of Waste Warriors

Over the years, in response to the growing waste crisis, Waste Warriors has emerged as a vital organisation working towards solving the waste problem. Operating in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, they are creating sustainable decentralised models of waste management systems by linking advocacy, education, and smaller independent projects.

Through educational campaigns, waste segregation guides, and the creation of ‘ecopreneurs’, entrepreneurs who manage waste locally, Waste Warriors is inspiring collective alternative action to tackle the waste crisis. Their efforts not only encourage the consciousness towards waste but also enable local communities and government bodies to take charge of waste management systems.

Summit 25: The Mountain Cleaners

Between the 11^th and the 14^th of February 2025, at the Sambhaavna Institute in Palampur, Waste Warriors brought together organisations and individuals working on waste management systems in the Indian Himalayan region. Over four engaging days, the Waste Warriors team shared insights, strategies, and best practices drawn from over a decade of experience.

More than just a space for knowledge exchange, the summit became a powerful platform for connection. For many participants, it was the first time they found themselves in a room filled with like-minded individuals equally committed to tackling the mountain waste crisis.

"I thought I was alone in this... all these years. It’s only now that I realise there are 50 more crazy heads like me who want to solve the waste crisis in the Himalayas," shared a changemaker and a sentiment that resonated deeply across the group.

One of the summit activities invited us to open up about our fears and hopes; an often overlooked issue of climate anxiety became a common fear. However, for those working on waste management, this was a shared reality. The activity kicked off by addressing the rising fears surrounding the climate crisis. But as the conversations deepened in smaller groups and later expanded to the larger circle, something powerful happened: hope began to shine through. It became clear that we weren’t facing this overwhelming challenge alone. The activity wasn’t about finding immediate solutions but about reinforcing the power of collective action and the strength found in sharing. 

Insights from the Field

Field visits allowed participants to witness these waste systems in action and reflect on how these models could be adapted to their own local contexts. Sessions encouraged participants to share their learnings and explore ways to apply those insights within their own communities. This intentional flow of learning, observing, and reflecting created space for meaningful conversations about localised solutions.

Waste Warriors has been steadily building sustainable waste management systems in Dharamshala and Bir by combining infrastructure development, local leadership, and community collaboration. On days two and three, all the participants split into two groups and visited these two locations to learn about Waste Warriors' work firsthand.

Dharamshala: A Model for Change

In Dharamshala, Waste Warriors has established a comprehensive waste management system across multiple wards through years of work. Through collaboration with the Dharamshala Municipal Corporation, they run a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) that efficiently sorts and processes recyclable materials. This has significantly improved waste segregation, reduced landfill burden, and supported cleaner public spaces.

"Understanding how plastic and its varieties are segregated has been very helpful. I work with plastics, and learning the details of segregation and which variety is which has been very beneficial." shared a Kana Ram from Djed Foundation.

"We visited a waste site in Dharamshala, and my main takeaway was how much value dry waste holds. This experience taught me a lot about the wealth in waste." added Nidhishree from Jangrah.

Bir: Tailored Solutions for Unique Needs

In Bir, Waste Warriors has expanded its reach to multiple communities, each requiring unique approaches. Their partnership with Keori village led to the creation of a waste bank in July 2023, reducing open littering by providing a designated space for waste collection and processing. Local leaders played a crucial role by investing their Shri Valmiki Award prize money into building the waste bank, reinforcing the community’s ownership of the initiative.

In Gunher Panchayat, Waste Warriors has worked to implement waste collection systems tailored to the area's specific challenges. Meanwhile, the Tibetan Colony stands out for its robust system, where individuals voluntarily bring their segregated solid waste to a designated collection point. Waste Warriors supports this process by establishing a clear structure for waste disposal, which is now efficiently managed by the community itself.

Waste Warriors is collaborating with the government to build a new Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Bir, which aims to enhance the waste processing infrastructure and improve waste management systems in the region.

This collaboration is the result of persistence in the face of challenges. The facility is currently located in a pine forest, and there have been significant back-and-forth as well as several years of delays and court disputes. The team handling land acquisition from the government and support for construction has remained determined throughout the process.

Scaling Systems of Change

Through this field experience, Waste Warriors demonstrated that creating effective waste management systems requires engaging multiple stakeholders. Their holistic approach combines community engagement, infrastructure development, and strategic partnerships to foster sustainable environmental practices in the Himalayan region, an alternative that offers both environmental protection and social empowerment.

The Ecopreneur Model: Empowering Local Changemakers

A key innovation has been the Ecopreneur Model, which empowers locals to become entrepreneurs in waste management. These 'ecopreneurs' are trained to run waste collection and processing enterprises, creating livelihood opportunities while strengthening waste systems.

A significant learning from the summit was how this model encourages people to see waste as wealth, turning discarded materials into economic opportunity while promoting environmental responsibility and adding to livelihood opportunities.

Government Collaborations: Strengthening Local Partnerships

Collaboration with local panchayats and municipal bodies has been crucial. In Dharamshala, their partnership with the Municipal Corporation has helped integrate waste management into local policies. Meanwhile, in Bir, along with collaboration with local panchayats, community partnerships have ensured that systems are locally driven and sustainable.

Ittisha from Azure Lotus Foundation shared, "It was very relatable for me. Seeing the dedication and sincerity with which the gram panchayat members are involved is truly inspiring. When I go back, I will definitely share the stories from here."

Pitch Fest

To bring the summit to an end, they hosted a fast-paced pitch fest, eight participants had just five minutes each to present their ideas or showcase the work they are doing to a jury. Some opted for presentations, while others chose simple storytelling, and one even performed a short skit. This rapid format encouraged presenters to distil their ideas into clear, actionable strategies, highlighting creative approaches grounded in local realities.

By announcing three winners, the Summit recognised solutions that showed potential for meaningful impact with small funds, reinforcing that small or big, well-thought-out initiatives and ideas can create lasting change in mountain communities.

From Learning to Action and From Isolation to Collective Impact

Summit 25: The Mountain Cleaners was filled with four days of learning and insights, highlighting that collective action can have a much greater impact and sometimes more qualitatively than quantitatively. While the waste crisis is vast, the number of people, individuals, and organisations addressing it is limited and often works in isolation. This isolation is compounded by the social perception of waste being undesirable, lowly, and often dismissed.

Over the course of four days, many participants developed deeper bonds, fostering a sense of camaraderie and creating an environment where everyone felt seen, valued, and connected. The central theme was cross-learning, which was emphasised through reflective sessions following various visits. These sessions provided participants with the opportunity to consider local solutions inspired by the work of Waste Warriors. This exchange of knowledge created a clear pathway from learning to action, encouraging participants to identify successful models for their own communities while also sharing stories of other initiatives and the work that was happening.

By fostering these connections, the summit built a sense of collective responsibility and action. A WhatsApp group now keeps the network alive, and scheduled calls are planned to continue the cross-learning process, turning the four-day gathering into the start of something much larger.

The summit also demonstrated that meaningful change emerges not just from individual effort but through collaboration, connection, and a shared commitment to building sustainable alternative mountain ecosystems.