The Himalayan region in India is facing a severe crisis of plastic pollution, with over 80% of plastic waste coming from single-use food and beverage packaging. A recent report, The Himalayan Cleanup (THC) 2024, revealed that 70% of this waste is composed of non-recyclable plastic products with no alternate market value. The report is based on an extensive audit of plastic waste and brands conducted across nine Indian states and union territories, including Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Darjeeling, and Ladakh.<\/p>\n
The audit found that major polluting brands include those producing instant noodles and energy drinks, such as Wai Wai, Mama, and Mimi, and PepsiCo’s Sting energy drink. These brands’ packaging forms a significant part of the waste, with food packaging contributing up to 92% of the waste in some regions. The report also notes that corporate claims about recycling are misleading, as most plastic waste collected is non-recyclable.<\/p>\n
The THC 2024 report highlights the need for urgent policy recommendations to tackle the growing waste crisis in the Himalayan region. The report recommends an outright ban on multi-layered plastics, holding food and beverage brands accountable for the waste they generate, and banning the sale of junk food and energy drinks in school areas. It also calls for mandatory front-of-package labeling and a “design out waste” approach to ensure products leave minimal environmental impact at end of life.<\/p>\n
The report’s findings are alarming, with some regions showing extremely high levels of plastic waste. For example, in Sikkim, 87% of the waste collected was plastic, with 79% of that being non-recyclable. Similarly, in Darjeeling and Kalimpong, 95.5% of the waste collected was plastic, with 72% being non-recyclable. The report emphasizes the need for effective waste management in these vulnerable regions and recommends equipping rural and mountain local bodies with dedicated resources for waste management.<\/p>\n
Overall, the THC 2024 report highlights the need for a robust and integrated policy framework to tackle the growing waste crisis in the Himalayan region. The report’s recommendations, if implemented, could lead to a significant reduction in plastic pollution and help protect the region’s fragile ecosystem. The report’s findings and recommendations serve as a wake-up call for policymakers, businesses, and individuals to take action to address the plastic pollution crisis in the Himalayan region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Himalayan region in India is facing a severe crisis of plastic pollution, with over 80% of plastic waste coming from single-use food and beverage packaging. A recent report, The Himalayan Cleanup (THC) 2024, revealed that 70% of this waste is composed of non-recyclable plastic products with no alternate market value. The report is based […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-114611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fmcg"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9pc77-tOz","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":114633,"url":"https:\/\/smallnews.in\/fmcg\/2026\/01\/26\/amcor-lindt-and-nestle-collaborate-on-aluminium-packaging-recycling-initiative\/","url_meta":{"origin":114611,"position":0},"title":"Amcor, Lindt, and Nestl\u00e9 Collaborate on Aluminium Packaging Recycling Initiative","author":"Team Small News","date":"January 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The article discusses the efforts of three major companies - Amcor, Lindt, and Nestl\u00e9 - in recycling aluminum for packaging. 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