Context:
- A recent audit under The Himalayan Cleanup (THC) 2025 has revealed that single-use food and beverage packaging constitutes 84.2% of plastic waste in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR).
- The findings highlight severe ecological stress in a fragile mountain ecosystem, linking the issue to GS Paper 3 (Environment & Ecology) and GS Paper 1 (Indian Geography – Himalayan Ecology).
- The study underscores that the crisis stems from upstream production and policy failures, rather than merely poor waste disposal practices.
Key Highlights:
Magnitude and Composition of Plastic Waste
- In 2025, a total of 1,21,739 pieces of waste were collected across 9 Himalayan States.
- Plastic waste:
- 1,06,857 pieces (~88%) of total waste.
- 84.2% of plastic waste comprised food and beverage packaging (wrappers, sachets, tetra packs).
- Non-recyclable share:
- 71% of plastic waste was non-recyclable, mainly multilayered plastics and tetra packs.
- Waste audits traced a large proportion of food wrappers to top FMCG corporate polluters.
Geographical Spread (Himalayan Cleanup Audit, 2025)
- Sikkim: 53,814 items (44% of total waste collected).
- Darjeeling (West Bengal): 36,180 items.
- Ladakh: 11,958 items.
- Other affected regions include Nagaland and Uttarakhand.
- Non-recyclable plastics are often not collected by waste handlers, leading to:
- Choking of mountain streams and rivers
- Accumulation on slopes, glaciers, and valleys
- Pressure on limited landfill capacity.
Institutional and Organisational Context
- Study led by the Zero Waste Himalaya Alliance in collaboration with the Integrated Mountain Initiative.
- Conducted under the annual campaign The Himalayan Cleanup (THC), launched in 2018.
- The 2024–25 audit involved:
- 350 NGOs
- Over 15,000 volunteers
- Data collected from 450 sites across Himalayan states.
Scientific / Technical Concepts Involved:
- Multilayered Plastics:
- Laminated plastics made of multiple polymer layers.
- Difficult or impossible to recycle due to material inseparability.
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR):
- Policy mechanism making producers responsible for post-consumer waste management.
- Weak enforcement allows non-recyclable packaging to proliferate.
Relevant Prelims Points:
- Issue: Escalating plastic pollution in the Himalayan ecosystem.
- Major Source: Single-use food and beverage packaging.
- Key Organisations:
- Zero Waste Himalaya Alliance
- Integrated Mountain Initiative
- Environmental Impact:
- Threat to mountain biodiversity
- Water contamination and microplastic generation
- Challenges:
- High share of non-recyclable plastics
- Inadequate EPR enforcement
- Logistical difficulties of waste management in mountainous terrain.
Relevant Mains Points:
- Ecological Significance:
- The Himalayas are a fragile, climate-sensitive region and the source of major river systems.
- Governance Failure:
- Over-reliance on downstream waste collection rather than upstream production reform.
- Corporate accountability under EPR remains weak.
- Economic & Policy Dimensions:
- FMCG-driven packaging growth without environmental cost internalisation.
- Way Forward:
- Ban or redesign multilayered plastics, especially in food packaging.
- Strengthen EPR compliance and transparent brand-wise reporting.
- Promote biodegradable and local packaging alternatives.
- Develop mountain-specific waste management systems tailored to eco-sensitive zones.
- Integrate plastic reduction goals into Himalayan conservation policies.