Alliance launches project Aviral to cut plastic waste in Ganga river

In recent years, the amount of plastic waste has drastically increased in India. More specifically, this increase is affecting the two cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh. The boom in visitor numbers (before the pandemic) was increasingly leading to unmanageable amounts of plastic waste. Coinciding with Conservation Day 2020, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (the Alliance) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), launched the Aviral – Reducing Plastic Waste in the Ganga pilot project. This CSR initiative aims to reduce the amount of plastic waste entering the environment in the northern Indian cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh.

Aviral seeks to pilot an approach to address waste management challenges. In particular, it will focus on strengthening an integrated plastic waste management system. Following the two-year pilot in the two cities, the partnership aims to scale this initiative across partnering cities in India.

“We want a world where every community can have universal access to an environment where their plastic waste is managed. This partnership marries the ambition of both the Alliance and GIZ where we reduce plastic waste and help improve the livelihoods of communities dependent on the Ganges, India’s lifeline and one of the world’s most important rivers,” said Jacob Duer, President and CEO of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste.

Alliance to End Plastic Waste is an international non-profit organisation partnering with government, environmental and economic development NGOs and communities around the world to address the challenge to end plastic waste in the environment. As of July 2020, the Alliance has nearly 50 member companies and supporters representing global companies and organisations across the plastic value chain.

“With Aviral – Reducing Plastic Waste in the Ganga, we are building on the existing flagship programmes of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (Namami Gange) and the Clean India Mission (Swachh Bharat Mission). As its own name indicates, Aviral, means “continuous” in Hindi, the overall objective is to continue strengthening our contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Carsten Schmitz-Hoffmann, Director General of GIZ International Services.

This privately financed project contributes to the achievement of the SDGs, notably focusing on clean water and sanitation, sustainable cities and communities, climate action and revitalising the global partnership for sustainable development.

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