LAYA: Residents of Laya are turning waste into useful products with support from SHE-Cycle Solutions, a community-based organisation that helps women upcycle discarded plastic, improve waste management and earn income.
During the recent Royal Highland Festival, the community showcased items made from plastic waste, including handbags, pouches and picnic or lunch baskets.
SHE-Cycle Solutions is a community-based organisation founded by Chogyal Lhamo in 2025. It focuses on grassroots waste management and women’s empowerment.
The organisation also works with women in Laya to collect discarded plastic and transform it into useful products that generate income. The group also upcycles clothes, giving discarded materials a new lease of life.
The initiative has brought together more than 20 girls and women in Laya, including older women, who have learned to weave using discarded plastic packets under the founder’s guidance.
For Sangay Wangmo, chairperson of the SHE-Cycle group in Laya, the initiative has helped the community see waste in a positive light.
“Before, people did not know how to dispose of waste properly. They also did not know that these waste materials could be turned into useful products,” she said.
Much of the plastic collected consists of milk powder and flour packets. Women collect waste from their own households, while some community members bring discarded packets directly to them.
The group does not follow a fixed schedule for collecting waste or making products. Members work whenever they have time and materials available, fitting the activity around their other responsibilities.
Since the initiative began, Sangay Wangmo said waste management in the community had improved significantly. She has also seen less plastic waste being discarded as more materials are collected and reused.
However, turning waste into products is only part of the challenge. Selling them in Laya remains difficult because the local market is limited. When products cannot be sold in the community, Chogyal Lhamo takes them to Thimphu and other places to find buyers.
Initially, a lack of awareness was another major obstacle. Some people struggled to understand how discarded plastic could be transformed into something useful. Sangay Wangmo said people’s understanding varied, but awareness and community support had gradually improved.
The group is also extending its work to younger generations. Members are gradually introducing the initiative in schools, including Laya Central School, where students are being taught how to manage waste and turn discarded plastic into useful products.
For the women involved, SHE-Cycle Solutions offers a practical way to protect the environment while learning skills that give discarded materials a second life.
The participation of both younger and older women also brings different generations together through a shared effort to reduce waste.
In highland communities like Laya, where waste collection and disposal have been challenging, the initiative has reduced the amount of waste that would otherwise be discarded around villages. - Kunsel/ANN
