Coca-Cola, in partnership with CREASION, launches #SafaGaraun sustainability programme at Pashupatinath

KATHMANDU: Coca-Cola, in partnership with CREASION, has launched a year-long sustainability programme called #SafaGaraun at the Pashupatinath Temple complex. The initiative was inaugurated on Wednesday, ahead of Mahashivaratri festival, which was expected to draw more than one million devotees.

The campaign will run intensively for 10 days around the festival — five days before and five days after — and focuses on waste management, public safety, access to safe drinking water and circular-economy practices during one of Nepal’s largest religious gatherings. The Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) has given strong support to the effort.

More than 500 volunteers, including students, youth groups, waste workers and social workers, have been mobilised to support on-ground implementation and public awareness activities across the temple premises. Organisers said volunteers will assist with crowd management, awareness campaigns and behaviour-change messaging to promote sustainable practices among devotees.

At the inauguration, Ajay Konale, Managing Director of Bottlers Nepal, highlighted the social and economic aims of the project. He said, "At Bottlers Nepal, we believe true impact happens when people are at the centre. By working closely with safai sathis, recyclers, local partners, and municipal bodies, this project uplifts the very people who support the backbone of Nepal's recycling landscape. Empowering them also strengthens the entire PET value chain, from collection and segregation to reuse."

Konale added, "A stronger recycling ecosystem creates local economic opportunities, supports livelihoods, and encourages responsible consumption, all of which contribute to a positive business environment. Projects like Climate-Smart Cities help us build a future where business performance and environmental responsibility reinforce each other."

Saloni Goel, Senior Director — Sustainability and ESG Value Creation, Coca-Cola India & Southwest Asia, said large gatherings offer a chance to demonstrate effective waste management. “Large-scale gatherings provide us an opportunity to showcase how waste can be managed effectively, enabling a clean experience for visitors. In collaboration with our implementation partners and local authorities, we are humbled to support responsible waste collection, segregation, and disposal at one of Nepal’s significant cultural gatherings. With #SafaGaraun, our focus is on promoting shared responsibility and creating scalable solutions that help keep the environment around us clean.”

Subhash Chandra Joshi, Executive Director of PADT, said the partnership with CREASION has significantly supported cleanliness efforts at Pashupatinath and stressed that continuous cleanliness is being maintained through cooperation among stakeholders despite the challenge of managing waste at a site visited by millions.

CREASION’s Programme Director Sujata Koirala described the campaign’s long-term vision, saying the initiative aims to keep the UNESCO-listed Pashupatinath area "clean, hygienic, and dignified" and to foster a culture of sustainable cleanliness.

Organisers outlined several practical interventions: a Safety & Emergency Response Booth constructed from recycled multi-layer plastics to demonstrate upcycling; strategically located hydration stations to provide safe drinking water; engagement and provision of safety gear for informal waste workers; pre- and post-event clean-up drives with systematic documentation of waste diversion; and installation of 40 recycled benches, tri-bins, bottle-shaped PET collection bins and two trash booms in the Bagmati River. The year-long programme is intended to leave lasting waste-management infrastructure and sustainable practices that will benefit the temple complex and surrounding communities throughout 2026.