Dimapur, May 23 (MExN): A cleanup drive cum brand audit will be conducted at the Dimapur Railway Station on May 26, 6:00AM, as part of the National Himalayan Cleanup Campaign of Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI) and Zero Waste Himalayas.
The drive will be conducted by the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) and LiFE in collaboration with AOK, NFR Dimapur, along with the “informal sector,” local churches, schools and in coordination with the Sustainable Development Forum.
The Himalayan Cleanup is a cleanup drive being organised across the 12 mountain states on May 26 with an aim to bring the issue of solid waste to the forefront, and also to understand what is in our waste through a waste and brand audit.
The cleanup will especially focus on plastic waste in alignment to the World Environment Day theme of ‘Beat Plastic Pollution,’ with India being the global host. It is to be conducted following a uniform guideline, through support and participation of various government, non government organisations and individuals, who shall take the lead in their own areas.
The cleanup process includes two components—waste audit and brand audit.
The waste audit looks at volume, weight, and number of different types of waste which enables an analysis of the waste collected. It involves collecting all the wastes that are found in the designated clean up area/site, and bringing them to the sorting area. From there, the waste will be segregated and classified based on a Waste Classification Table. Once segregated, the waste materials will be counted weighed and measured.
Meanwhile the brand audit looks at brands that make up the waste, quantifying each brand which highlights the most polluting brands. This is to be conducted only for the branded plastic items.
The initiative calls for governments, industries, NGOs, communities, and individuals to come together and reduce production and excessive use of single-use plastic that is polluting the environment and threatening human health. “The Himalayan region, long been portrayed as sacred, pristine and untouched, has a flip side too, of plastic clogged waterways, waste being rolled down hill sides and burnt. The Himalayan Cleanup aims to bring attention on the problem of waste in the mountains, specifically single use plastic waste, through a day dedicated to not only cleaning up our mountains, but also in understanding what is causing the mess,” stated a concept note from the initiative.
“Knowing what is in our trash is a great place to begin the journey of zero waste,” it added, stating that this will provide insights into what are the kinds of items that need to be reduced in the long run.
The Himalayan level data presented in Delhi will form inputs to policy exercises and help advocate for extended producer responsibility with companies whose products create maximum waste in the mountains.
Ultimately it is hoped that the data will lead to the development of a vision for the mountain states in keeping with the Sustainable Development Goals, 2030.
