Upcycling

Upcycling is defined as the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality or environmental value. 

Upcycling is the opposite of downcycling, which is the other half of the recycling process.

Upcycled and constructed in the autumn of 2019, in Langtang National Park, the first Environmental Education Site (EES) consists of a large PET Plastic Pavilion - a 'pause point' both for locals and for the 18,000 annual trekkers to Langtang.

Made of 2,447 bottles collected in the Park - from paani (water) bottles to Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Mountain Dew, and the like - the PET Pavilion is a moment for respite on the busy trek to Langtang, Kyanjin Gompa, and Gosaikunda. The PET pavilion asks questions of us all. How can we work together to keep our rivers clean? How can we segregate waste better? How can we think in a cradle-to-cradle circular way?

Visit the National Park and see the PET Pavilion in Tiwari: www.what3words.com/avocado.clarinet.alleges

The PET plastics pavilion is now hosting 40 international trekkers and tourists per day in Tiwari, Langtang National Park

With around 18,000 annual visitors to the Langtang Park, the PET house is attracting over half of these to visit, learn, and interact with the upcycling work of PSD Nepal in Langtang. The tourist season runs from September-November and February-April with over 1 million tourists coming to Nepal to visit the Himalaya and trek in the mountains. The PET plastic house is the first of five installations by PSD Nepal, provoking the imaginations of visitors and asking important questions of our times - how will we interact with the natural world? What role will we let plastic play in the environment? How can we plan well for the future?

How can we use upcycled plastic to stimulate imagination and creativity?

In Rasuwa district, PSD Nepal conducts educational classes on waste, recycling, segregation, and environmental health, using PET bottle caps. Plastic PET bottle caps can be used to spark imagination and open conversations on the environment. From fruit and trees and rhododendrons to rivers, glaciers, mountains, and hydro projects - the vision of school students is limitless!

Watch something of this work online here and learn more about this work through our online presentation.

Upcycling to RDF fuel is facilitated by a technical team from NAST, headed up by Dr Rabindra Dhakal. Dr Dhaka was previously senior scientific advisor to the Prime Minister of Nepal. NAST promotes creative re-purposing of waste materials, as well as upcycling. NAST also focus on the educational opportunities to grow scientific knowledge and improve awareness. 

NAST  employs a pyrolysis machine to convert plastic waste to fuel. Plastic waste including plastic bags, wrappers, styrofoam, etc. are converted with 80% efficiency into RDF (reduced diesel fuel). This upcycling process demonstrates a high level of efficiency, with 1kg of plastic waste converted into c.0.8L of RDF fuel. 

This project is currently in pilot phase.

PSD Plastics in partnership with OSI (a global iNGO based in Geneva, Switzerland) are rolling out the construction of seven EES sites for PET plastic structures. These are: 

1. Tiwari Gaun (completed)

2. Bamboo (completed)

3. Dhunche (Rasuwa HQ)

4. Khalikhastan (Langtang buffer zone)

5. Thangshyap (at 3,000m)

6. Kyanjin Gompa (at 4,000m)

7. Langtang Village (at 3,500m)