Uttarakhand is implementing a QR code-based project to prevent littering the Char Dham route with plastic bottles and packets

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Last Updated28/03/2023

The Uttarakhand government has chosen the Char Dham yatra route that covers temples at Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri to implement a unique waste-disposal system in the Himalayas.
Hemkund Sahib and the Valley of Flowers will also see the implementation of a QR code-based system that will streamline collection of waste and reduction of garbage along the route.

Visitors will scan a QR code on each plastic bottle and multi-layer plastic bag (of chips or biscuits) and pay a deposit over the maximum retail price (MRP).
They can claim this amount back as a refund when they deposit the waste at a point at the end of the yatra.
Up to 45 lakh QR codes are expected to be printed this year.
The idea and execution is being carried out by Recykal, a Hyderabad-based start-up that provides software solutions for better recycling and sustainability.
Earlier this year, Uttarakhand and Recykal won silver for the project, in the Digital India Awards under the category of a government’s digital initiatives in collaboration with start-ups.