Environmental Protection & Waste management in Ladakh, Himalayas

Ladakh is among the most stunning parts of India and the Himalayas. The jagged, arid mountains and the vast uninhabited hinterlands offer some of the most spectacular landscapes on our planet. However, the amount of waste produced in this region is staggering and it warrants immediate attention. A lot of the waste is disposed of by burning or dumping in abandoned sites and pristine water bodies. The unregulated disposal of waste pollutes soil and water and leads to the loss of valuable materials. To more about the challenge of waste in Ladakh, visit our website: https://www.zerowasteladakh.com/

At ZERO WASTE LADAKH, we are extremely troubled by the havoc created by waste to land, water, air, animals, and communities in the Himalayas. Choosing not to be bystanders, we have espoused the cause of protecting the environment and promoting sustainable practices to address the waste crisis in the Himalayas.

We have 5 key action areas: 

1. Research & documentation to generate information on waste, which will give insight into the problem and its solutions.
2. Awareness & campaigning among individuals and communities to manage, reduce and prevent waste.
3. Fabric waste management with the help of local self-help groups to conserve resources and create value out of waste.
4. Skill training for local individuals and self-help groups in making sustainable products by upcycling fabric waste.
5. Livelihood generation for local self-help groups by creating and marketing upcycled fabric waste products.

To know more about our work, visit our website: www.zerowasteladakh.com.

Through our efforts in environmental protection and waste management in Ladakh, we at ZERO WASTE LADAKH are creating impact in 3 spheres:

>> Environmental

Tailor waste is the lowest in value out of all forms of textile waste. Hence, it is destroyed by landfilling, incineration, dumping, or burning in the open. By recovering and reusing tailor waste, we prevent it from entering the environment and give it a new life as upcycled products made by the local community for their income generation.

>> Social

As part of our awareness and campaigning, we reach out to as many people as possible through awareness events, our website, blog posts, and social channels. Reducing our waste needs resolve, mindfulness, and perseverance; however, targeting one shift at a time can substantially reduce our waste footprint in the long run.

>> Economic

Our endeavour of recovering and reusing tailor waste involves providing local self-help groups with training in fabric waste upcycling and engaging them in making upcycled products. By imparting skill-based training, we enable the local self-help groups to earn income, and the livelihood thus generated is entirely eco-friendly. We also contribute directly to their livelihood by promoting and marketing their upcycled products.