SUMMARY

The “Green Job Creation through Recycling and Upcycling in Pokhara Metropolitan City (GCRU) project” is designed to promote the green economy by establishing recycling/upcycling (RU) enterprises based on the circular economy model, in place of the current 'throw away' approach, thereby increasing green jobs, and reducing pollution and environmental impact of solid waste. The project plans to achieve its objectives through three interlinked areas of interventions – policy and coordination, promoting of RU enterprises, and empowering communities for increased awareness and community-level RU initiatives. The project will support in the creation of an enabling policy environment and the establishment of a Green Venture Zone (GVZ) to incentivize existing and potential RU enterprises. Moreover, the project will strengthen community awareness of waste collection and segregation to ensure the supply of clean materials required for RU enterprises. The project will work closely with the Pokhara Metropolitan City (PMC) to deliver results and to ensure their sustainability. 

Background

Pokhara Metropolitan City (PMC), the capital of Gandaki Province and a major tourist destination, generates 182 metric tons of waste daily, with 80% from domestic sources, 16% from commercial, and 4% from institutional sources. Currently, 85 tons of this waste are disposed of at the Laamey Aahal dumping site (Ward 32), which lacks proper landfill standards, such as adequate walls to prevent wastewater leakage, and is situated near a river. As one of Nepal's fastest-growing cities, the increase in population, tourism, and commercial activities has intensified pressure on PMC's waste management infrastructure. This project aims to promote a green economy by establishing recycling and upcycling enterprises based on the circular economy model, which incentivizes reusing products over extracting new resources.

These efforts will also support the UN resolution "End plastic pollution: towards an international legally binding instrument," addressing the entire lifecycle of plastic. An enabling policy environment and effective coordination among stakeholders will encourage the establishment and expansion of recycling/upcycling enterprises and community involvement in waste management through source segregation and recovery. Educational platforms like the Green Venture Zone (GVZ) will support innovation and learning for these enterprises. Community-level groups formed through sustained awareness and skill development will benefit from GVZ's programs and supply raw materials for promoted enterprises.