Have you ever wondered what happens to discarded plastic bottle caps? At best, they transform into wheels in DIY toy projects; or so we think. In Nepal, they are recycled into souvenirs, jewellery and everyday utility items by Nepal-based Moware. This design intervention enterprise Eva Villardon Grande gives a new meaning to waste left behind in the Himalayas.
Launched in 2013, Moware which stands for ‘Mountain Waste Repurpose’, employs innovative ways to reduce our footprint by upcycling and creatively transforming waste into useful products. The initiative was kickstarted to promote paper waste management in offices, even as it generated employment for low-income women from Lalitpur, Kathmandu. Over the years, they diversified, experimenting extensively with waste aluminium, wrappers, and glass bottles.
The Himalayan stones - Renjo La, Cho La and Kongma La | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Among their collectables, the most talked about is the From the Himalayas collection including a miniature model of the mountains that shows its most iconic peaks — Shartse, Lhotse, Mount Everest, Nuptse, Changtise Peak, Khumbutse Peak, and Mount Lingtren. The collection also includes ornamental rocks, jewellery and candle stand, all made from plastic bottle caps discarded by trekkers in the Himalayas.
Plastic bottle caps at Moware’s workshop | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The glass in the collection are made from recycled alcohol bottles that are left behind by tourists. These are collected from hotels by Waste management companies. Moware sources these and turns them into utility items. An average trekker uses approximately 38 water bottles during the climb. Moware decided to see what could be done with the plastic instead of sending it to landfills, or having it incinerated. Towards this end, they set out to collaborate with two like-minded waste product resource management companies, Blue Waste and Sagarmatha Next., based out of Nepal, to find a solution.
How does the waste come down?
Carry Me Back was the first initiative of Sagarmatha Next to address the waste management challenge in the Sagarmatha National Park and the Khumbu region (Nepalese side of Mount Everest). When the pilot project of the crowdsourced waste removal system was initiated in 2019, 2,500 tourists transported about 4,000 kilograms of waste. The waste is segregated, packed in specially made bags and left at a pick-up station located by the stupa in Namche Bazaar.
Putting a cap
Eva and her team members at Moware | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Why bottle caps? Eva explains, “While a plastic bottle without the cap may have a lot of takers, the plastic cap itself — made from High-Density Polyethylene (HDP) — finds no takers, so they eventually end up in landfills.”
Moware then collaborated with Pim and Luc of Super Local, a team of Dutch designers based in Nepal. The duo devoted themselves to reducing waste and creating sustainable products hand-in-hand with local communities. “After a few months of brainstorming, they devised the Himalayan model design and Himalayan stones. The Himalayan stone are assortment of three mani stones — Renjo La, Cho La and Kongma La. These stones represent the awe-inspiring three passes of the Khumbu region. We just loved it and saw a beautiful chance to give the caps a new life,” says Eva who has made Nepal her home for now, to work on similar projects.
Why Himalayan stones? Eva continued, “We discovered trekkers and hikers pick stones as reminder of the trip when they visit the Everest. Many do not know that this is forbidden. This is how we decided on assortment of three mani stones — Renjo La, Cho La and Kongma La. They are made of 8, 10 and 16 bottle caps respectively.”
Collaborative effort
“With the help from our sister concern Sagarmatha Next (the first project of Himalayan Museum and Sustainability Park) we have collected and transformed 60,000 kilograms of waste generated in Kathmandu Valley and the Khumbu region,” she explains, adding that about 5,40,000 tonnes of solid waste are generated every year in Nepal. “Despite the efforts made to improve waste management practices, the country lacks a formal system for reusing and recycling. Consequently, many valuable resources are thrown away without recovery and treatment,” says Eva.
Pre-Covid, the brand outsourced the production to women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Eva adds, “The design and waste material were given to different SHGs. Moware then purchased the completed products. Post-Covid, we hired a team to have better control and uniformity in design. Currently our team has 10 women working on the production and sale.”
Eva continues “In 2019 alone, the Khumbu Valley received over 60,000 tourists which along with the local guides and staff of 20,000 and 7,000 indigenous sherpas and workers from other parts of Nepal, generated about 790 kilograms of waste per day during the trekking seasons which added up to 200 tonnes of waste in 2019.” Now, at least some of that waste is finding a home away from the mountains.
