As plastic pollution continues to impact Nepal’s urban and natural landscapes, young people are stepping up. Under the EU-funded GreenShift Nepal project, our Youth Advocacy Groups are demonstrating the power of community action through large-scale cleanup campaigns that combine environmental responsibility with local ownership.
Saral Nepal: Restoring Rivers and Reviving Responsibility in Bharatpur
In a strong show of leadership and local collaboration, our Youth Advocacy Group from Bharatpur Metropolitan City, Saral Nepal, led three impactful cleanup campaigns across Bharatpur in April and May 2025.
On 26 April, 40 volunteers from Saral Nepal and local community members gathered to clean the banks of the Narayani River, collecting nearly 90 kilograms of waste, much of it single-use plastic such as spoons, cups, and wrappers.
“We were shocked to see how much daily plastic ends up in such a sacred river,” said one of the volunteers. “This isn’t just a cleanup, it’s a wake-up call.”
Following that, on 5 May, the team turned their attention to Hanuman Nagar, a neighborhood under Saral Nepal’s “Model Neighborhood” initiative under the GreenShift Project. With 33 community participants, they collected 145 kilograms of waste and held an interactive discussion on waste segregation, recycling, and sustainable disposal practices.
In the third phase, Saral Nepal focused on Devghat, one of Nepal’s most revered religious sites. With active involvement from local youth groups and residents, they removed over 250 kilograms of waste. The campaign also promoted community dialogue and emphasized long-term recommendations for sustainable waste practices, such as developing regular cleaning schedules, engaging more participation from religious and business communities, and ensuring stronger coordination with municipal authorities.
CARD Nepal: Tackling Plastic Waste in Janakpur’s Urban Heart
On 26 April, CARD Nepal, our Youth Advocacy Group from Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City, launched one of Janakpur’s largest youth-led cleanup campaigns, covering key public spaces including Campus Chowk, Mithila Institute of Technology, and Parikrama Road.
With the help of 16 youth volunteers and 14 local residents and ward officials, the team collected a staggering 3,487 kilograms of waste. This included 982 kilograms of single-use plastics, 437 kilograms of glass and bottles, and other non-hazardous waste transported in three tractor trips.
To support sustainable waste practices, the team also installed color-coded dustbins in visible public locations. Despite challenges like limited community participation, their commitment remained strong.
“Our journey may have started small, but with continued youth leadership and community collaboration, we believe a plastic-free Janakpur is possible,” said Anju Kumari Yadav, President of CARD Nepal.
The initiative was not just a cleanup effort, but a youth-led movement to reshape everyday habits and bring public attention to the urgency of addressing plastic waste in both community and institutional spaces.
These youth-led cleanup drives are helping reclaim public spaces, protect sacred sites, and ignite a broader movement toward circular thinking and sustainable living. We are proud to back these powerful acts of local leadership.
