The crisis of plastic pollution in India’s ecologically sensitive Himalayan region is worsening with every passing day. A recently published report has concluded that over 80 per cent of plastic waste in the region comes from single-use food and beverage packaging.
Alarmingly, 70 per cent of this waste comprises of plastic products that are neither recyclable nor have any alternate market value. Only 18.5 per cent of the total waste is made up of recyclable plastics such as Polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
These findings stem from The Himalayan Cleanup (THC) 2024 Report, which draws on extensive plastic waste and brand audits conducted from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh since 2018. The report reveals that major polluting brands include those producing instant noodles and energy drinks, whose packaging forms a significant part of the waste.
In 2024, 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 of these locations.
Due to the large volumes of waste in hilly regions such as Sikkim, Darjeeling and Ladakh, the report highlights that corporate claims about recycling are largely misleading, as most plastic waste collected is non-recyclable.
The usual suspects
According to the report, Sikkim emerged as the most proactive state, with 53,814 pieces of waste collected from 86 sites. Of this, 46,908 pieces (87 per cent) were plastic, and 79 per cent of that plastic was non-recyclable. Shockingly, around 92 per cent of the plastic waste originated from food packaging, while 6.3 per cent came from smoking and gutkha products.
In the mountainous regions of Darjeeling and Kalimpong (West Bengal), 26 sites were audited. A total of 36,180 waste items were collected, of which 34,569 (95.5 per cent) were plastic.
Of this, 72 per cent was non-recyclable and 28 per cent recyclable. Food packaging contributed 79.1 per cent of the waste, 16.3 per cent came from smoking and gutkha products, and 1.7 per cent from personal care items.
In Ladakh, 11,975 pieces of waste were collected, of which 11,168 (93.3 per cent) were plastic, with 75.8 per cent being non-recyclable. Food packaging accounted for 67.6 per cent of the waste, smoking-related materials 23.2 per cent, and eight per cent came from household waste.
In Uttarakhand, eight sites were audited, yielding 5,937 waste pieces, 4,554 (81.1 per cent) of which were plastic. Around 67 per cent of this plastic was non-recyclable. Alarmingly, 96.6 per cent of the plastic waste was related to food packaging. Food wrappers dominated, followed by beverage bottles, juice boxes, and plastic bags.
In Nagaland, six audit sites uncovered 6,512 waste pieces, of which 5,885 (90.4 per cent) were plastic, 64 per cent of it non-recyclable. Food packaging comprised 81.2 per cent of the waste, followed by nine per cent from smoking materials. Here too, food wrappers, beverage bottles, juice boxes, and plastic bags were the most common.
Arunachal Pradesh showed comparatively lower figures, with 2,705 waste items collected from a single site, of which only 29.4 per cent were plastic— but 55 per cent of that was non-recyclable. Astonishingly, 99.6 per cent of the plastic waste here was related to food packaging.
In states like Himachal Pradesh, Manipur and Mizoram, total waste recorded was under 3,000 pieces, with an estimated 80 per cent being plastic. The percentage of non-recyclable plastic in these areas was not clearly specified, though food packaging was estimated to comprise more than 85 per cent of the waste.
Instant noodles and energy drinks among top polluters
According to the THC 2024 report, the most polluting brands included instant noodles such as Wai Wai, Mama, and Mimi, with their empty packets found in large numbers across all states. Their usage has risen rapidly, making them major contributors to single-use plastic waste. Maggi, a household staple across India, came in second, with its wrappers and pouches found in abundance in all major Himalayan states.
PepsiCo’s Sting energy drink ranked third among the most polluting brands. A staggering 20.3 per cent of all beverage bottles collected were Sting bottles. This high figure has remained consistent over the past three years, especially in Sikkim and Darjeeling.
Data from THC 2023 also showed a sharp increase in Sting’s waste share, rising from 11 per cent in 2022 to 20.3 per cent in 2024. Although other energy drinks are also present, Sting dominates. This is especially concerning since Sting carries a warning label advising against consumption by children, pregnant women, or nursing mothers. Yet, it is widely consumed by children, often sold to them despite the warning. This trend not only underscores the drink’s growing popularity but also presents serious public health and environmental concerns.
Regional preferences were also noted: Mountain Dew was more common in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, while Sting dominated in the Sikkim and Darjeeling Himalayas.
Other widely found items included wrappers of chewing gums like Center Fresh (Perfetti), and snack packets of Bingo (ITC) and Lays/Kurkure (PepsiCo).
Juice containers of Frooti/Appy (Parle Agro) and plastic bottles of Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Bisleri were commonly found across all states, highlighting beverage companies’ packaging as a major source of pollution.
Urgent policy recommendations
According to the report, multi-layered plastics (MLP) constituted 68.5 per cent of the total plastic waste, while PET accounted for 18.5 per cent, LDPE for 5.4 per cent, and HDPE just one per cent.
Key recommendations from the report include 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.
The report also calls for mandatory front-of-package labelling and urges policymakers to move beyond recycling to adopt a ‘design out waste’ approach — ensuring products leave minimal environmental impact at end of life.
Furthermore, the report recommends that rural and mountain local bodies be equipped with dedicated resources for waste management to enable effective, long-term solutions in these vulnerable regions.
These measures, if implemented, could lead to a robust and integrated policy framework to tackle the growing waste crisis across the Himalayan region.
Reported by downtownearth