Waste Management and Circular Economy

CLEAN UP NEPAL envisions a sustainable and resilient urban and rural environment through integrated waste management and circular economy approaches. Our strategy is rooted in strengthening government accountability and community participation. By supporting local authorities with capacity building, policy guidance, and technical support, we ensure duty bearers/ municipalities are equipped to implement environmentally sound waste management practices. Simultaneously, we empower communities to actively participate in waste reduction, segregation, upcycling, and recycling initiatives, fostering ownership and long-term behavioral change.
Data digitization forms a backbone of our strategy, enabling evidence-based decision- making through tracking of waste streams, collection efficiency, and resource recovery. The Safa Nepal mobile application serves as a tool for citizen engagement, allowing residents to report issues, monitor waste collection services, and hold responsible entities accountable. At the core of our approach is the promotion of circular economy principles. CLEAN UP NEPAL facilitates the establishment of Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), supports the informal recycling sector, and strengthens market linkages for recyclables. We also promote green entrepreneurship, encouraging startups and local enterprises to innovate in waste-to-resource conversion, sustainable product development, and circular business models. Complementing this, we provide technical guidance on residual waste management, segregation at source, and deployment of innovative machines and technologies for efficient processing.
Health, safety, and environmental standards are integral to our operations. CLEAN UP NEPAL ensures occupational safety for informal waste workers, enforces environmentally responsible practices, and integrates Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into projects. Our strategy also encourages corporate participation through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, policy advocacy for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and support for carbon and green credit programs to incentivize sustainable practices.
Further, we conduct waste and brand audits of the products to inform strategies, optimize recycling value chains, and expand integrated solid waste management models at local levels. CLEAN UP NEPAL promotes modern waste management through innovative machines and technologies, enhancing efficiency and sustainability. Simultaneously, we build the capacity of municipalities, communities, and stakeholders to manage waste effectively, while ensuring the occupational health and safety of informal waste workers, safeguarding their well-being and fostering inclusive, responsible waste practices. CLEAN UP NEPAL effort to transform waste management into a sustainable, economically viable, and socially inclusive sector, aligning with national policies and SDG. CLEAN UP NEPAL will place strong emphasis on nature-based solutions, including composting organic waste, promoting urban green spaces, restoring degraded land through waste-to-soil practices, and adopting ecosystem-based approaches that enhance resource recovery, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and community-led environmental stewardship, while also promoting nature-based packaging for food and liquids along trekking routes to reduce plastic pollution.

Main Objective:

To establish integrated, circular, and socially inclusive waste management systems that reduce environmental pollution, enhance resource recovery, and build resilient communities through technological innovation, capacity strengthening, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Specific Objectives:

i. To enhance institutional and technical capacity of local municipalities and communities for implementing effective waste segregation, processing, recycling, upcycling, and environmentally sound disposal practices.
ii. To promote circular economy principles by establishing Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), supporting green entrepreneurship, and strengthening market linkages for recyclable materials.
iii. To ensure the occupational health & safety, and social inclusion of informal waste workers through the provision of protective equipment, training, healthcare access, reproductive and gender equality, social protection, access to vital registration, insurance coverage and the integration of safe operational protocols. Additionally, support will be provided to ensure access to the benefits and rights as stipulated in the Labour Act of Nepal.
iv. To leverage technology and data-driven solutions for efficient waste tracking, service monitoring, and evidence-based decision-making using tools like the Safa Nepal mobile application, to ensure government accountability and public responsibilty.
v. To foster multi-stakeholder engagement and advocacy for sustainable policies, including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and to promote corporate participation and nature-based solutions.