Archive · 30 Sep 2026
Arunachal Villages Sort Waste Into 22 Categories Together
Families in Zemithang save their rubbish during the week instead of mixing it all together.
They wash and separate items such as plastic, glass and metal at home.
Every Sunday, people bring the sorted waste to a community collection point.
There, it is divided into 22 different types.
Women riders help carry the material toward recycling centres.
Each household pays Rs 50 to help keep the system working.
The programme now includes 27 villages and about 6,000 people.
Together, they have recovered nearly 90 tonnes of waste.
Families in Zemithang sort, clean and store household waste before bringing it to community collection points each Sunday.
The system covers 27 villages and around 6,000 people, who have helped recover nearly 90 tonnes of waste.
Residents separate discarded materials into 22 categories, including plastic, glass and metal.
Each household contributes Rs 50, while women riders collect and transport sorted material toward recycling centres.
The Himalayan Fringes Project has expanded from a pilot in Chullyu to a wider initiative reaching more than 20,000 people.
- Who
- Families in 27 villages around Zemithang, supported by the Himalayan Fringes Project, co-founded by Merwyn Coutinho and Rajiv Rathod.
- What
- A community-led system sorts household waste into 22 categories before collection and recycling.
- When
- Residents bring their sorted waste to collection points every Sunday; 1,479 kg was responsibly managed in August.
- Where
- Zemithang and other Himalayan communities in Arunachal Pradesh.
- Why
- Difficult mountain terrain makes conventional waste collection challenging, so sorting at home helps recyclable material reach processing facilities.
- Coverage
- 27 villages and around 6,000 people in the Zemithang effort
- Waste categories
- 22 types, including plastic, glass and metal
- Waste recovered
- Nearly 90 tonnes so far
- Household contribution
- Rs 50 per household
- August total
- 1,479 kg of waste responsibly managed
- Wider reach
- More than 20,000 people through the Himalayan Fringes Project
- Collection day
- Every Sunday, known as Swachhata Diwas