A Cleanup Awakens in Gilgit-Baltistan

In the remote northern reaches of Pakistan, where towering peaks cradle ancient glaciers like Baltoro and Biafo, the landscape is as breathtaking as it is fragile. Yet as these glaciers steadily recede and the climate grows increasingly unpredictable, the region faces mounting environmental threats. Among them, plastic waste management has emerged quietly but relentlessly, jeopardizing not only the pristine beauty of these highlands but also the health and livelihoods of the communities who call them home.

The growing influx of trekkers and mountaineers into Gilgit-Baltistan has only deepened the strain. With no formal waste collection infrastructure, discarded bottles, wrappers, and packaging often left behind by tourists — accumulate across trekking routes and base camps. The result is not just an eyesore, but a creeping danger to glacier-fed water systems, wildlife, and local agriculture.

Settled along the Braldo River in Shigar Valley at an altitude of 3,000m, Askole, the last village before the legendary K2 base camp, illustrates this problem sharply. “Every season, when the trekking groups arrive, they leave behind plastic bottles, wrappers, and other waste,” says Habib Khan, a lifelong porter from the area. “That trash doesn’t just vanish—it ends up in our streams and fields, damaging the environment we depend on.”

In response to the mounting waste crisis, a collective of committed stakeholders has come together to drive meaningful change. Backed by the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan, Nestlé Pakistan is one such entity that launched the Clean Gilgit-Baltistan initiative—a bold and forward-looking project designed to establish a sustainable waste management model across some of Pakistan’s most remote and environmentally sensitive landscapes.

The approach is both strategic and deeply rooted in community engagement. The project has installed clearly marked waste bins made of recycled plastic, educational signage, and sorting points in various tourist sites within the GB region to encourage responsible disposal and reduce littering.

Moreover, one of the most impactful innovations introduced through the initiative is the deployment of plastic compressing and baling machines in Skardu, Gilgit, Hunza, and most recently at the key base camp hamlet Askole in partnership with Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP). These compactors compress large volumes of annual plastic waste of around 40,000 kgs into tightly packed bundles, making storing, transporting, and recycling the collected material significantly easier. The baled waste is then sent downstream to cities with recycling facilities—a crucial step in closing the loop on packaging waste in a region where logistical challenges are immense and infrastructure is scarce.

By blending awareness with accessible, low-tech solutions, the initiative is setting a precedent for how environmental sustainability can be pursued even in the highest and hardest-to-reach frontiers of Pakistan. As part of the CGBP, the company has also installed 225 benches and over 100 waste bins made of recycled plastic at 16 tourist hotspots in the region spread across Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu, Shigar, Kharmang etc., and donated 15,000 reusable bags for distribution among the communities.

“Waste scattered across high-altitude terrain is incredibly hard to manage,” explains Sheikh Waqar Ahmad, Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Nestlé Pakistan. “By installing baling machines, we’re not just cleaning, but rather, we’re creating a system that’s long-term and scalable.”
The ripple effect has already begun. “Children have become more aware. They bring plastic home to dispose of properly and ask questions about protecting the environment. That is a hopeful sign,” says Gulnaz, a local schoolteacher. Environmental awareness, she notes, is taking root at the grassroots level.

By embedding economic opportunity into environmental protection, the project is slowly stitching sustainability into the fabric of daily life in Gilgit-Baltistan.

What’s more, the program’s impact reaches beyond just waste collection—it’s cultivating green livelihoods and a sense of ownership among the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. Young locals are now employed in waste handling, sorting, and eco-tourism, turning environmental care into a source of dignity and income.

Raja Nasir, Gilgit-Baltistan’s Minister for Planning, considers this approach foundational. “Our mountains are sacred—economically and spiritually. Partnering with organizations like Nestlé allows us to preserve them while empowering our people. It’s a win on every front.”

These partnerships have set a domino effect in motion, catalyzing green enterprise with support from the GB-EPA and local government, small-scale sustainable businesses are taking root, such as a newly inaugurated non-woven bag production unit in Nomal, capable of producing 30 tonnes a month. Not only does it fulfill local needs, but it opens the door for inter-district supply, turning plastic alternatives into local commerce. Plans for similar units in Ghizer and Hunza are already underway.

Meanwhile, innovation is reshaping tourism spaces too. Bins and benches crafted from recycled plastics now stand beside the shimmering waters of Attabad Lake, Gilgit City Park, and Upper Kachura Lake—turning waste into utility, and utility into quiet education. Nestlé’s involvement in this closed-loop model includes installing PET bottle crushers and balers in Gilgit, Skardu, and Hunza, as well as launching PET collection centers and awareness drives. These machines compress plastic on-site, making it easier to transport for recycling, especially critical in places like Askole, where accessibility is limited.

This growing ecosystem of care reflects a shift in mindset—one that is both collective and deeply local. By embedding economic opportunity into environmental protection, the campaign is slowly stitching sustainability into the fabric of daily life in Gilgit-Baltistan.

All of which leads to this simple truth—change in the mountains is never sudden—it carves its path slowly, like water over stone. Yet in Askole’s cleaner trails, curious children, and rising community ownership, a quiet transformation is underway—one that hints at a future where stewardship is shared, and even the highest peaks are not beyond the reach of care.