Gen Zers are helping to clean up the mountains of plastic waste littering the Indian Himalayas. The trash is a result of poor waste management, increasing consumption of cheaply made goods, and an influx of tourists.
Travel + Leisure reported that their organization, the Waste Warriors Society, has already made a significant difference since its launch in 2012, with more than 6,100 tons of waste collected in North India's rural and urban Himalayan regions.
When journalist Pallabi Dey Purkayastha encountered members of WWS in Himachal Pradesh, located in the Western Himalayas, she learned more about how the nonprofit is creating positive change in the community, one bag of trash at a time.
As detailed by Travel + Leisure, the Waste Warriors have encouraged locals to get involved in cleanup efforts by reminding them that they're part of the natural world and that taking responsibility for protecting it leads to better health for both people and the environment. The nonprofit has even helped residents in rural areas find employment in waste collection or start their own businesses, which can be life-changing opportunities, as many people in the Himalayas live in poverty, according to Jana Aastha.
The Waste Warriors operate in the Himalayan states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, providing services across numerous locations. While local cleanups are still a big part of the work, the group has shifted much of its focus to rolling out "systematic waste management solutions in Dharamshala, Dehradun, and the outskirts of Corbett Tiger Reserve," per its website.
"We chose the Himalayan region because it's not only a tourism hotspot but also home to countless species and sacred spaces," Waste Warriors CEO Vishal Kumar told Travel + Leisure. "We collaborate with local communities, governments, and entrepreneurs to build systems that function independently — so they're not reliant on Waste Warriors or inconsistent funding. Our goal is to make ourselves redundant."
Massive cleanup efforts have been long overdue in the region, as Kumar explained to India Development Review that the two states Waste Warriors works in "have witnessed more than 400 million tourists since 2010 and are among the worst-performing states when it comes to solid waste management."
Tourism in the area generates roughly 9.3 million tons of waste annually, but because of a lack of adequate waste management, about 60% of the waste is burned, dumped, or washed into major rivers such as the Ganga, Yamuna, and Sutlej — the lifeblood for millions who rely on them for their livelihoods, water supply, and agriculture.
Since young people today are acutely aware of environmental issues, it hasn't been difficult to find volunteers to further Waste Warriors' mission. In the past decade, 160,000 people have been involved in community cleanups or infrastructure projects, including students from more than 50 schools in the region.
Given that children and young adults are the future, the nonprofit launched Youth United for Waste and Climate Action, a program that teaches youngsters the basics of building a cleaner, healthier future.
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Definitely 👍 "Today's generation is far more environmentally conscious," Kumar said. "We're just giving them a platform to come together, take action, and prove that keeping the mountains clean is not only necessary — it's possible."
Several local artists have made contributions to spreading the message by creating murals and installing artwork with environmental themes, such as tiger sculptures made from plastic waste. Art can be a powerful tool to shape public perceptions and help people understand the importance of leaving no trace in the Himalayas and beyond.
As a journalist friend told Purkayastha during her time in the mountains, "[The Waste Warriors have] made real, local change." You can too by volunteering to tackle waste and pollution in your community.
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