PSD Plastics

Turning Waste into Opportunity

- Empowering communities through plastic recycling and awareness -

PSD Nepal partners with mountain communities across Nepal to build circular economies focused on plastic waste. Through incentive-based collection, recycling, and creative upcycling, the PSD Plastics program has removed tens of thousands of PET bottles each month from sensitive Himalayan ecosystems.

The Plastic Problem in the Himalayas:

• Over 5 million plastic bottles left in Langtang Valley from tourism and trekking

• Each season, 200,000 new bottles enter the region—totaling 125+ tons of PET plastic waste

• Rivers traditionally used for dumping; downstream pollution impacts millions

 

Vision, Mission & Goal

• Vision: Cultivate circular economies in Nepal’s Himalayan national parks

• Mission: Recycle PET plastic bottles collected from national parks and promote creative upcycling

• Goal: Promote viable job creation, environmental wellbeing, and sustainable local management around plastic waste

 

The PSD Solution

Incentive Collection - “1 Bottle = 1 NPR”

To encourage local participation, PSD Plastics operates a scheme where each PET bottle collected earns the collector 1 Nepalese Rupee. This has been a powerful motivator in mountain communities. 

In Langtang Valley, over 40,000 bottles are recycled monthly via this scheme.

Recycling

Collected PET bottles are transported to Himalayan Plastic (Pokhara), where they are processed into rPET (recycled PET) for reuse in new bottles. 

Upcycling & Creative Reuse

While PET bottles go into recycling, their caps (HDPE) are repurposed into value-added items. The process includes crushing, flaking, and injection molding to produce flowerpots, coasters, clothes pegs, keyrings, and more. 

One of PSD’s signature installations is the PET Pavilion in Langtang National Park — built from 2,447 collected bottles — which serves as both a rest point for trekkers and a visible statement on plastic waste. 

 

 

Impact & Achievements

• Monthly recycling of ~40,000 PET bottles from Langtang alone. 

• Tens of thousands of bottles removed from fragile mountain ecosystems each month. 

• Job opportunities created in collection, transportation, upcycling and awareness work.

• Public outreach & exhibitions: e.g. PSD held a community awareness exhibition in Chhaya Center, Thamel, Kathmandu to showcase the plastic upcycling program to city audiences. 

 

Future Vision (2025–2030)

PSD Plastics is guided by ambitious plans to expand and deepen its impact across Nepal. In the coming years, the program aims to strengthen infrastructure, foster innovation, and build sustainable, community-led systems that reduce plastic waste in the Himalayan region.

A major focus will be on infrastructure expansion. PSD plans to establish more sorting and collection centers in remote mountain areas and to improve transport systems for more efficient movement of collected plastic. Partnerships with markets beyond Pokhara and Kathmandu will be extended to increase the reach of upcycled products and create new livelihood opportunities.

At the same time, policy advocacy and waste reduction will play a key role. PSD Nepal supports the introduction of bans and restrictions on single-use plastics, especially within national parks, and promotes the installation of water filtration systems in public areas and trekking facilities to reduce the reliance on bottled water.

Through community-led sustainability, PSD will continue to empower local residents through training, outreach, and educational programs, ensuring that communities can take the lead in managing their own waste. The existing incentive schemes, such as the bottle collection program, will be scaled up to guarantee long-term participation and ownership.

In the field of research and innovation, PSD Nepal is committed to integrating new recycling and conversion technologies, such as pyrolysis, to turn plastic waste into usable materials or energy. Waste data will be continuously monitored to replicate successful models across new regions.

The program also aims to strengthen the connection between tourism and conservation. With initiatives such as Clean-Up Treks and Collection Days, PSD invites trekkers and volunteers to actively participate in preserving Nepal’s natural beauty while supporting local communities.

 

Honoring the Legacy of Samuel Gregory Johns

PSD Plastics owes much of its vision and success to the late Samuel Gregory Johns, affectionately known as "Plastic Shyam." Samuel was a passionate environmentalist and co-founder of PSD.

Plastics, whose groundbreaking work in Langtang Valley and his commitment to sustainable waste management have left a profound impact. Together with Bishnu Bhatta, he founded PSD Plastics in 2017, pioneering innovative solutions to the growing plastic waste problem in the Langtang region.

In 2024, to honor his legacy, PSD Nepal has decided to establish the Samuel Memorial House in Kyanjin Gompa. This facility serves as a hub for community education, training programs, and workshops focused on waste management, recycling, environmental conservation, and cultural preservation. The house is a testament to Samuel's vision of a cleaner environment and empowered communities. His innovative ideas and dedication to both people and nature continue to inspire our work.

 

Latest Achievements