Mountains have always been a symbol and pride of Nepal and around 1,75,000 tourists visit Nepal for mountain trekking and expedition each year. However, they also leave behind waste which has created a massive waste management problem in the mountains. Understanding that businesses simply cannot prosper without a healthy planet and society, Unilever Nepal has been partnering with the Mountain Cleanup Campaign, an initiative led by Nepal Army to clean up and remove waste and plastics from major peaks in the country.
The Mountain Clean-up Campaign 2023 marks the third consecutive year Unilever Nepal has been associated with the activity; and this year the campaign has witnessed tremendous dedication from army personnel, sherpas, locals, and volunteers to collect waste from three major peaks - Mt. Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest)- Lhotse region, Mt. Annapurna, and Mt. Baruntse. With a dedicated team of nearly 100 members, 35 tonnes of waste were collected from these four mountain regions and was handed over to the recycling partners for coprocessing and recycling.
To honour Unilever’s continued support for the program, the Managing Director of Unilever Nepal, Amlan Mukherjee was also conferred with the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Badge for Nature Conservation by General Prabhu Ram Sharma, the current Chief of Army Staff of Nepal Army.
In addition, Unilever Nepal has also taken a monumental leap in its commitment to a waste-free world by reprocessing a significant portion of the plastic waste generated in its packaging. In fact, the Company also moved one-fourth of its entire plastic portfolio to sustainable structures (all shampoo bottles, caps, soap wrappers and tube caps) and the aim is to achieve significantly more by the end of this year.
The Company has also made significant progress in operating its factory with clean energy. 71% of the energy consumed in the factory is from renewable energy sources and their aim is to shift towards sustainable sources of energy in all areas of their business operations.
Unilever Nepal is proud to have played a part to keep the country’s mountains beautiful and blossoming for generations to come. Through its efforts, the Company is reaffirming its commitment ‘to make sustainable living commonplace'.