The Himalayan Cleanup (THC) 2024 report was jointly released by two organisations, namely, Zero Waste Himalaya (ZWH) and the Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI) in May 2025. Since 2018, THC has been held annually from May 26–30. It includes a detailed waste brand audit, using a standardised global protocol in the Himalayan context.
In 2024, the cleanup period was extended up to June 5th, the World Environment Day (WED), allowing participating groups to integrate their efforts with WED activities. Notably, Nepal and Bhutan also joined the initiative, which audited waste at over 450 sites across nine Indian states and union territories, with brand and plastic audits carried out at 151 out of 450 locations.
The seriousness of the environmental crisis was highlighted at the ZWH Network Meet held in Bir, Himachal Pradesh, in April, 2025 where alliance members expressed concern over current policies inefficient to address the specific challenges of mountain ecosystems. The meet was supported by Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA)-Asia Pacific and Break Free From Plastic (BFFP), global networks dedicated to ending plastic pollution through real solutions.
About THC
Initiated in 2018 by ZWH and IMI, THC is a major movement against plastic pollution in the Indian Himalayan Region. Launched in response to India’s global call for WED in 2018, it involves voluntary cleanups and waste and brand audits. THC’s findings were presented at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) event in New Delhi which influenced communities and institutions towards zero waste. THC highlights region-specific waste challenges worsened by rising consumption and tourism. Even remote Himalayan villages face plastic pollution, with waste often dumped or burnt.
THC is today the largest collective mountain plastic pollution cleanup campaign. According to the THC report, the 2018 cleanup involved over 15,000 volunteers from 200 organisations across more than 250 sites. In 2024, the initiative has expanded, with over 15,000 volunteers from 350 organisations, collecting plastic waste at 450 locations. Over the past six years, more than 50,000 individuals have joined the movement.
Objective of THC
THC acknowledges that cleanups alone could not solve the waste issues but serve as a vital starting point towards a sustainable zero-waste future. It provides a platform for mountain communities to raise their voices and align with wider national and global waste movements. It believes that waste stems from flawed design and stresses on the enforcement of producer responsibility. Beyond cleanup, it focuses on collecting detailed data through brand audits to push for improved systems and policies.
THC further encourages self-reflection and lifestyle changes, urging both individuals and institutions to take meaningful action against plastic pollution. It is a zero-waste event, which promotes local, unpackaged food, reusable materials, and avoiding single-use plastics. It works in collaboration with official waste departments and informal workers to ensure that post-audit waste is either recycled or sent to the designated landfills responsibly.
Theme of THC
The theme of THC is Reflect, Switch and Demand. It motivates its participants:
- to reflect on their waste footprint;
- to ‘switch’ to adopt sustainable lifestyles to reduce their waste; and
- to ‘demand’ change by raising their collective voices against plastic pollution.
THC is carried out in collaboration with those who identify key sites, mobilise volunteers for cleanups, and conduct brand audits following the global protocols.
THC Process
The call to participate in THC process is made through social media, with volunteers reaching out to organisations and government bodies. Lead groups select key sites, such as tourist spots, sacred places, campuses or ecologically sensitive areas, and register through an online form. Registered participants receive training on audit protocols. Volunteers then clean, segregate, count, and weigh plastic and non-biodegradable waste, logging data through a mobile app. This data is analysed to identify and name top polluting companies, urging them to take responsibility.
Implementation across Himalayan States
Sikkim recorded the highest number of cleanup sites during 2024, with the campaign officially adopted by the Swachh Bharat Mission under the Rural Development Department. Additionally, the Education Department issued a directive for school participation, leading to widespread involvement and significant waste collection. Key cleanup sites included Ridge Park, Hurhurey Dara, Seven Sisters Waterfall, and Chongay area.
In West Bengal, Darjeeling and Kalimpong followed closely, with numerous schools, colleges, and organisations contributing. Cleaned locations included Mahakal Dara, Chowrasta, Mall Road, Tiger Hill, Jorepokhari Tenzing Rock, Bokar Monastery, and Changey Falls.
In Ladakh, THC partner Little Green World led the initiative with participation from schools and the Army in Leh and Kargil. The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council also organised cleanups, though without conducting waste and brand audits.
In Himachal Pradesh, Gadiara Panchayat Mahila Mandal and Palampur Welfare and Environment Protection Forum cleaned one kilometre of an irrigation channel, with 25 per cent of plastic waste having unidentifiable producers. Shimla was also one of the sites.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the North East Waste Collective collaborated with the community and Indo-Tibetan Border Police in a large-scale cleanup in Sangti Valley involving over 130 volunteers. NGO Amyaa held a separate cleanup in Roing.
In Nagaland, the Chizami Student’s Union led efforts in Chizami, while volunteers engaged schools and clubs in cleaning sites such as the Nagaland Zoological Park and North East Institute of Social Sciences and Research (NEISSR).
THC was also held at Dehradun in Uttarakhand, at Ukhrul in Manipur, and in Mizoram, with active participation from local bodies, student groups, and civil society organisations, although not all sites conducted brand audits.
Cleanup Results and Data by Region
As per the report, Sikkim collected 53,814 pieces of waste from 86 sites. Of these, 46,908 items (87 per cent) were plastic, and a significant 79 per cent of that was non-recyclable. Food packaging was the dominant source, making up to 92 per cent of the plastic waste, while 6.3 per cent came from smoking and gutkha (tobacco) products.
In West Bengal, waste was audited at 26 sites, yielding 36,180 items in total. Of these, 34,569 pieces (95.5 per cent) were plastic, with 72 per cent non-recyclable, and 28 per cent recyclable. Food packaging made up 79.1 per cent of the plastic waste, followed by 16.3 per cent from smoking and gutkha, and 1.7 per cent from personal care products.
Ladakh reported 11,975 waste items, of which 11,168 (93.3 per cent) were plastic. About 75.8 per cent of this was non-recyclable. Food packaging accounted for 67.6 per cent, smoking materials 23.2 per cent, and household waste 8 per cent.
In Uttarakhand, eight sites were audited, revealing 5,937 waste items. Plastic made of 4,554 pieces (81.1 per cent), with 67 per cent of it was non-recyclable. Notably, 96.6 per cent of the plastic waste was food-related—mainly wrappers, beverage bottles, juice boxes, and plastic bags.
Nagaland saw 6,512 waste items collected from six sites, with 5,885 (90.4 per cent) being plastic. Of these, 64 per cent was non-recyclable and 81.2 per cent came from food packaging, followed by 9 per cent from smoking materials.
In Arunachal Pradesh, 2,705 waste items were collected from one site, with plastic making up 29.4 per cent. Of that, 55 per cent was non-recyclable, and an overwhelming 99.6 per cent was food packaging.
In Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Mizoram under 3,000 waste items were recorded, with about 80 per cent estimated as plastic, mostly food-related. Non-recyclable rates were not clearly defined.
Plastic Waste and Challenges The cleanup revealed alarming statistics with a significant portion being non-recyclable. Some 87.7 per cent of the total waste collected was plastic, with 75.2 per cent being non-recyclable. Plastic waste was categorised into six categories. Of this, food packaging alone accounting for 84.2 per cent of the total waste. Within this, 71 per cent was non-recyclable, consistent with findings from THC 2022 and 2023, which reported 72 per cent and 77.4 per cent non-recyclable plastic, respectively. Most of this waste consists of multilayered plastics (MLPs) and tetra packs, materials that could not be recycled and are not collected by waste pickers, leaving them to pollute mountain landscapes, waterways, and landfills. Also, Extended Producer Responsibility rules mandating that producers manage their plastic waste enforcement remains weak across the Indian Himalayan Region. Although using cement kilns to burn MLPs as refuse-derived fuel is proposed, high costs of collection and transport in mountainous terrain hinder implementation, leaving these plastics without viable disposal solutions.
Banned single-use plastic (SUP) items made up 3 per cent of the plastic waste collected, indicating incomplete enforcement of India’s SUP ban, implemented from July 1, 2022. While there is a decline compared to 2022, the continued presence of banned items highlights gaps in implementation. Despite being low-utility and high-impact, 19 banned items persist. Moreover, the ban targets only a small portion of plastic waste, leaving major producers largely unaccountable.
Top Polluting Brands In THC 2024, the most common beverage brands identified were Sting, Appy, Frooti, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Bisleri, and Amul. Some of the packaging was alarmingly small PET bottles and Tetra pack containers, as little as 65 ml. Ironically, several products featured compostable straws wrapped in plastic. These sugary drinks not only contribute to health issues but also raise concerns about toxic chemical leaching and microplastics, which remain largely unaddressed.
The next most polluting food brands were instant noodles, such as Wai Wai, Mama, Maggi, and Mimi, with their empty packets found in large numbers across all states.
Recyclable materials like PET, glass, metals, and cardboard were handed over directly to kabadiwalas and waste aggregators. The remaining non-recyclable waste were packed and either given to official waste management authorities or, in some cases, sent back to respective companies.
Conclusion
Mountain waste management remains a major challenge, requiring dedicated resources and mountain-sensitive policies. THC emphasises on shifting focus from end-stage waste handling to addressing the entire production and consumption cycle. THC is a powerful example of what a collective action can achieve. It intersects with food security, climate change, and biodiversity and calls for corporate accountability. Ultimately, plastic must be eliminated through committed action and a strong global plastic treaty.
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