Problem Statement

<aside> 🚨 The rapid rise of tourism has left Ladakh, particularly the Leh district, with an abundance of plastic waste. Left unchecked, the waste can pollute soil and underground water as well as make the region less appealing to tourists, who contribute up to 60% of the region's GDP. To preserve the Leh district, how can the amount of plastic waste in Leh area be reduced?

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Design Criteria

Circulating at least 50% of the plastic waste back to the industry.
Implementing ethical practices that are acceptable and in-line with the local traditions.
The methods to reuse plastic are cost effective, leading to sustainable profits.
Decrease reliance on fossil fuels as source of energy.

Key Stakeholders

Untitled Database

Why is waste management crucial in Ladakh?

Ladakh is one of the most fragile ecological zones of the Trans Himalayan region. Presently, the pollution in Ladakh has resulted in glacial recession, scarcity of clean water and cloud bursts. The most threatening of all pollution in the region is the solid waste.

Boom in tourism has resulted in a large amount of waste consisting of plastic bottles, papers, wrappers and plastic cans. Most of this garbage is known to be plastic and is dumped into the landfills, untreated. These landfills are chosen randomly without taking any environmental and socio-economic factors into consideration thereby contributing to health issues within the community.

Bamgard, the landfill near Leh, Ladakh has been in use for over 10 years and is only 2 kms away from the Leh city. This makes the landfill a further concern for the local community.