For Ek Bahadur Majhi, 47, from Golanjor, Sindhuli, discarded plastic bottles are no longer just waste—they have become his source of income. His perspective toward waste plastic bottles has changed after receiving the training from the Project Collaborative Approach for Preventing Plastic Leakages in Rives of Nepal (CAP) Project.  “Before receiving the training, I often used to neglect and throw the plastic bottles generated by customers consuming mineral water at my hotel. However, after receiving training, I started collecting the PET bottles and selling them to local recycling collectors,” explained Majhi, the owner of a hotel in Khurkot Bazar. "I am earning around Rs. 1,200 per week by selling PET bottles," said Majhi, adding that while it may appear to be a modest sum, I am satisfied to have an extra income from recycling and, more importantly, I can contribute to saving environment from plastic from my end. 

He had also built seven fishponds on his land beside the Sunkoshi River, intending to start commercial fish farming.  But he had to endure a loss as his ponds were completely washed and damaged by the flood of October. He only managed to sell a few fish. 

In addition to his fish farming, he opened a hotel in Khurkot Bazar a few years ago, which was doing well. However, following the Sunkoshi River floods, major portions of the highway were washed away, greatly disrupting traffic flow and consequently damaging his business. 

Through the CAP project, I learned that pollution and other climatic conditions have drastically reduced the fish population in the Sunkoshi River. However, customer appetite for fish is increasing. So, I am determined to restart my fish farming and operate my hotel smoothly for economic generations. "I have not lost hope, and the project has boosted my confidence," he added. is training and equipping the fishermen group in Golanjor Rural Municipality and Dhobi communities in Bharatpur Metropolitan City to collect plastic waste from rivers and divert them into established materials recovery facilities (MRFs). Also, the marginalized communities were trained in plastic collection ensuring the dignity of labor.