Waste pickers in Darjeeling are gaining long-overdue recognition and support, thanks to a collaboration between Tieedi Permaculture Foundation and Tetra Pak. This initiative not only establishes a structured recycling system for used beverage cartons but also provides waste workers with training, healthcare support, and a stable income source.
The project creates a decentralized collection network where households and businesses can responsibly recycle aseptic beverage cartons. These cartons—made primarily of 70% paperboard—will be sent to KhatemaFibres in Uttarakhand for recycling into paper products, packaging, roofing sheets, and composite materials. Youth from Sonada Degree College are also playing a key role in gathering data on waste workers, bridging the gap between research and real-world waste management solutions.
In Shillong, where tourism and retail industries generate significant waste, this initiative presents an opportunity for sustainable business practices. A structured recycling network can help local businesses manage waste more efficiently while supporting waste workers, fostering both economic and environmental benefits.
UtsowPradhan, Founder of Tieedi, emphasized that waste pickers are unsung climate warriors, while Juhi Gupta, Sustainability Director at Tetra Pak South Asia, highlighted the initiative as a model for community-driven recycling solutions.
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