On World Environment Day, rePurpose Global, a leading sustainability action platform, celebrates the impact of its inaugural clean-up initiative across waste hotspots in the Himalayan region of India. In collaboration with nearly 50 brand partners, including Grove Collaborative, Amperna Retail, Vital Pet Life, V-dog, Summit Supplements, CleanCult, Safe Catch, rePurpose Global, in partnership with its Impact Partner, Waste Warriors, spearheaded efforts to remove over 10,000 lbs of waste across eight natural sites, including a national park with an endangered elephant population.
The Himalayan region of India, home to majestic peaks, rich biodiversity, and the origins of the most important rivers in India, the Ganga and Yamuna rivers, faces a significant waste crisis. According to a World Bank report, tourism in the Indian Himalayas generates over five million metric tons of waste annually, a figure expected to rise with the ongoing tourism boom. Due to inadequate collection and processing systems, over 60% of this waste is estimated to be openly dumped or burnt. In response, these brands have come together to take collective action against the growing waste problem.
On the ground, rePurpose Global’s Impact Partner, Waste Warriors—an organization dedicated to tackling the waste crisis in the Indian Himalayan Region— mobilized over 500 community volunteers to support the waste clean-up. They ensured that the waste was ethically processed and disposed of in accordance with environmental regulations. This initiative helped communities clear waste hotspots as part of a one-off effort. rePurpose Global supports long-term solutions working hand in hand with rePurpose Impact Projects across the Americas, Africa, and Asia, protecting vulnerable coastal regions and providing waste infrastructure to manage plastic waste and prevent pollution in the long term.
“We at Grove Collaborative are thrilled to support rePurpose Global's Great Himalayan Clean-up alongside ten of our values-aligned brand partners whose products we sell at www.Grove.co. This collaboration showcases how small actions, even a like or comment on social media, are powerful and can lead to collective impact in addressing our plastic waste crisis,” shared Alexandra Bede, Director of Sustainability at Grove Collaborative. “We are incredibly proud of our partnership with rePurpose and are grateful to our partners and customers for their support. Since partnering with rePurpose Global in 2021, we are proud to have recovered over 11 million pounds of plastic from nature.”
“At rePurpose Global, we are thrilled to see the incredible impact of our brand coalition partners coming together to make The Great Himalayan Clean Up a reality,” shared Peter Wang Hjemdahl, Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at rePurpose Global. “This achievement underscores the importance of collective action in addressing the urgent issue of plastic pollution. We are immensely grateful to our brand partners, community volunteers, and supporters who made this impact possible."
This initiative builds on the ongoing impact of brands partnered with rePurpose Global. By financing the recovery of critical plastic waste in Colombia, Indonesia, Kenya, and India—countries with some of the highest rates of plastic leakage into nature—these brands are addressing a crucial environmental challenge. These partnerships have facilitated the recovery of 28,697 tons of plastic waste from nature, equivalent to 1.5 billion plastic bottles or 5.7 billion plastic bags in weight. Additionally, they have created positive social impacts by expanding waste collection infrastructure and generating additional income for 2371 waste workers and their families.
