Every year, over 2 million tourists visit Gilgit-Baltistan, making the region a popular attraction for local and foreign tourists while creating income for local communities. This has also become a reason for increasing waste in the region. Staying true to its vision for a waste-free future, Nestlé Pakistan recently delivered the first waste segregation machine in Gilgit, under its Clean Gilgit-Baltistan Project.
Chief Secretary Gilgit-Baltistan Abrar Ahmad Mirza inaugurates the machine to facilitate Gilgit-Baltistan Waste Management Company for smart waste management.
Inaugurated by Chief Secretary Gilgit-Baltistan Abrar Ahmad Mirza, the machine is situated in one of Gilgit-Baltistan Waste Management Company’s collection sites and will facilitate the sorting and segregation of different types of plastics and paper waste ushering in smart waste management in the region.
Acknowledging Nestlé’s contribution, Chief Secretary Gilgit-Baltistan Abrar Ahmad Mirza said, “We are delighted that Nestlé is making great efforts to reduce packaging waste in the region, and the progress of Clean Gilgit Baltistan Project is a testament in this regard.”
Earlier, as part of the CGBP program, Nestlé installed three compressing and baling machines, one each in Gilgit, Hunza and Skardu. The company also installed 122 benches and waste bins made of recycled plastic at popular tourist spots in the region and donated 15,000 reusable bags for distribution among the communities. In the last five year, these efforts culminated into waste management facilitation of over 6000 tons of plastic packaging in the region, making a positive environmental impact.
Highlighting Nestlé’s global vision, Sheikh Waqar Ahmad, Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Nestlé Pakistan said, “We are accelerating our actions to reduce the environmental impact of various kinds of packaging waste. Our vision is that none of our packaging, including plastics, ends up in landfill nor in oceans, lakes and rivers.”
“Tackling packaging waste requires a collective action of leveraging public private partnerships to find improved solutions to reduce, reuse and recycle,” he added.
Senior Minister Local Government & Rural Development Abdul Hameed, Minister for Planning & Development Raja Nasir Ali Khan, Commissioners of Gilgit & Hunza, and other senior government officials representing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Gilgit-Baltistan Waste Management Company (GBWMC) were also present on the occasion.
Under the CGBP program, Nestlé Pakistan has committed donation of a Waste Segregation Machine for Skardu, installation of additional 100 benches in Gilgit-Baltistan region and launch of Waste Management trainings for hospitality sector in partnership with GBWMC and EPA among other activities in 2025.
Gilgit-Baltistan is major tourist destination in Pakistan, serving as a hub for trekking and mountaineering expeditions in the Karakoram mountain range.
This initiative marks Nestlé Pakistan’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of packaging waste by improving its management and recycling, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals 12 and 17 – Responsible Consumption & Production and Partnership for Goals.