ZERO WASTE HIMALAYA

‘The #plasticfreedomchallenge’ Every bit of plastic that has ever been made by mankind is still lying somewhere on the planet. Today, we live in a generation that is defined by its consumption patterns which has meant a dramatic increase in the quantity of waste being produced. Also, there has been a massive change in the type of waste generated, from biodegradable to more and more of non-biodegradable waste. Topping this list of non-biodegradable waste is plastic . In India, of the 62 million tonnes of waste we are generating annually, 5.6 million tonnes is plastic waste. In the world’s oceans where a lot of trash ultimately ends up, there are more than 5 trillion pieces of plastic weighing nearly 269,000 tonnes. Our mountains are not spared either from plastic waste, and there are increasing amounts visible in every corner. Life without plastic is now unthinkable. It is in our phones, our cars, our TV sets, our computers and many other things which are part of o

LETS TALK TRASH!  A SHORT FILM CONTEST Waste, Garbage, Trash, Rubbish, Everyday we create more and more. But who wants to talk about it? It is a topic that is swept to the sidelines of every conversation, much like the way we dispose the waste that we generate- down hillsides, in drains, or to be transported to a place where we don't have to see it. And it is polluting our hills and rivers, but are we aware of the seriousness of the problem? Just dumping it somewhere or burning are not good solutions. We need to talk about trash and voice our concerns, and take the next step to talk solutions and raise awareness.  As part of the Swacch Bharat Mission, the Rural Management and Development Department (Government of Sikkim) in collaboration with WWF- India and the Zero Waste Himalaya Group is inviting short films on waste to talk about this critical issue and bring it the attention it deserves. Selected short films shall be screened at an event organised at Gangtok/ Darjeeli

INTERNATIONAL PLASTIC BAG- FREE DAY July 3rd was International Plastic Bag Free Day and the Zero Waste Himalaya Group geared themselves up for the challenge. Across the two places, Sikkim and Darjeeling, the issues with the plastic bags are somewhat similar but also varied. Sikkim was one of the first states to ban the bag with very successful implementation till many years, but of late with lack of monitoring, in many places the bag is making a comeback. Darjeeling town has been witness to a few ban attempts but these have had rather weak implementation support. In Sikkim, the plastic bag ban comes only under the Trade Acts and Rules notifications, that states no shops shall hand out goods in plastic bags to customers. This holds only the shopkeepers liable to the ban. In both places, however, a serious issue and one that most people are ignorant about is that of the widespread use of non - woven poly propylene bag or the PP bag, which has replaced the plastic bag in the gu