Concern over multi-layered non- recyclable food packaging waste

SNS, DARJEELING, 7 JUNE 2021: The Himalayan Clean Up-2021 (THC) initiative taken by Non-Government Organisations has revealed that 60 percent of plastic waste in the region is multi-layered non-recyclable food packaging, while it has emphasised on the need to amplify the demand for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) of companies.

Organised annually by the Integrated Mountain Initiative and Zero Waste Himalaya, a follow-up online session was held for it yesterday where participants discussed the findings of the Waste & Brand Audit (WBA) and collectively deliberated on the way forward and towards a zero-waste journey.

"THC was carried out in homes with participants reflecting on their lifestyles through waste and brand audits from 26th to 30th May. We had over 300 registrations that joined in for the WBA and THC conversations to reflect, switch and demand zero-waste lifestyle for the mountains," said the IMI and ZWH Team Councillor, Roshan Rai, who added that it was also a call to all mountain communities, individuals and organisations for demanding sustainable living as well as to bring to the forefront the Himalayan waste crisis.

"The usual site clean-up of the THC was made mote personal this year by taking it to our individual homes due to the worsening state of the pandemic. With participants from across the Indian Himalayan Region, this clean up from our homes revealed that 60 percent of our plastic waste is multi-layered food packaging, which is non-recyclable. The Himalaya is littered with plastic waste and the waste management systems and institutions are clueless about addressing it. This revelation also alludes to nutritional challenges that these posed by these type of food which is being seen to be preferred during the lockdown," he said.

According to him, the efforts of the THC were to draw the attention of the concerned to the increasing waste crisis in the mountains, specifically that of plastic waste.

"Our mountains are fragile ecosystems overburdened with woes of water, land degradation and the changing climate. The accumulating plastics only add to our growing problems. THC's demand is to bring in systemic changes through awareness and EPR, especially for products and packaging that have no solution which the THC has revealed," he said.

Their THC Brand Audit conducted in collaboration with Break Free from Plastics also revealed top brands that were polluting the mountains, and demanded that the brands take responsibility for the waste through EPR mechanisms of providing support to waste management institutions and ultimately design out these products and packaging.

The THC-2021 conversations also touched on issues like unpacked food from the perspective of Zero Waste, sustainable menstrual health practice, composting for degradables and the alternatives to switch to a zero waste thing. The THC recommended mountain-sensitive waste management policies as well as stopping the single use of plastics and phasing out multilayered plastic.