Jeju, Republic of Korea, 5 June 2025 – Communities, civil society, businesses, and governments around the world today marked World Environment Day under the theme #BeatPlasticPollution, with official celebrations held in the Republic of Korea’s Jeju Province. UNEP
Plastic pollution permeates every corner of the planet. By 2040, plastic leakage to the environment is predicted to grow by 50 per cent, and that pollution creeps into our bodies through the food we eat, the water we drink, and even the air that we breathe. World Environment Day 2025 calls for collective action to tackle plastic pollution. UNEP
Nepal: events, clean-ups and tree-planting
Marking World Environment Day 2025, ‘Bin There, Hacked That’, the first of its kind flagship waste hackathon, brought together techies, creatives, entrepreneurs, and climate leaders to tackle Nepal’s growing waste crisis through technology and creativity. The hackathon was hosted jointly by Ncell Foundation, Khaalisisi and Budhanilkantha Municipality on June 5 at the Budhanilkantha Municipality Hall. Ncell
The hackathon aimed to catalyse scalable, tech-enabled solutions addressing waste management, recycling infrastructure, plastic pollution, and the empowerment of informal waste workers, especially women. Applications invited students, startups, engineers, designers, coders, informal sector champions, and anyone passionate about building a cleaner and smarter Nepal. Ncell
Community clean-ups across Nepal
CLEAN UP NEPAL organised multiple community clean-ups on June 5. In one event in Ghorahi (Ward No. 2 – Surkedangi), 42 participants (26 women and 15 men) collected 158 kg of waste, including 26.5 kg of glass, 112.5 kg of mixed waste, and 19 kg of PET bottles. The initiative demonstrated the power of community action in tackling plastic pollution and promoting environmental responsibility. Clean Up Nepal
Across Nepal, tree-planting drives and greening events marked the day—schools, local governments, companies and NGOs organised plantation programmes and pledges to plant saplings to restore green cover and strengthen community resilience. Clean Up Nepal
Local innovation and digital tools
Local initiatives highlighted tech-enabled responses: the hackathon included themes such as Landfill to Circularity, Women in Waste Entrepreneurship and Digitize Trash to encourage digital solutions for mapping, tracking, and improving waste-value chains. Ncell
Tools like the Safa Nepal app and school-level Zero Waste programmes combine technology, education and community action to report illegal dumping, support behavioural change, and strengthen municipal response. Clean Up Nepal
Global momentum and the treaty process
World Environment Day 2025 emphasised that ending plastic pollution requires action across the full plastic life cycle: design, production, use and waste management. The global ceremony and events came ahead of resumed negotiations towards a global treaty to end plastic pollution. UNEP
Share Your Thoughts
- What impact could local clean-up campaigns and hackathons have on long-term waste management in your community?
- How can digital tools be scaled to help informal waste workers and improve recycling rates across Nepal?
- Which local policy changes would most effectively reduce single-use plastics where you live?
- How can schools and businesses be better engaged year-round to support tree-planting and plastic-reduction efforts?
Sources: UNEP, Ncell Foundation, Clean Up Nepal, Clean Up Nepal — analysis & tools