It was the 1990s, and Dharamshala’s waste problem was increasing day by day. Tourists and increasing number of refugees, and a lack of a proper green waste disposal system meant that waste was not properly disposed of.

One day in 1994, a missive came to the Tibetan Settlement Office (TSO) in Dharamshala, from none other than HH The Dalai Lama: They were to solve the burgeoning waste problem.

In June 1994, the Clean Upper Dharamshala Programme (CUDP) was formed.

The Green Shop, which sells handmade paper products is one part of the extensive green projects undertaken by CUDP.

Green Warriors go door-to-door and collect waste and deposit it at the Waste Segregation Centre, where the waste is divided into recyclable and non-recyclable waste.

The Paper Recycle Factory collects the paper waste and creates beautiful handmade paper products out of it. The recyclable waste is then sold to agencies who undertake appropriate recycling measures.

There are four artisans at the factory, creating the paper and beautiful handmade paper diaries, handmade paper lampshades and other paper products. All of them have been working here since the 1990s! Tentso, one of the artisans, says that she loves making beautiful products out of paper. “Starting with something that is declared trash and unusable, and at the end of the day you hold a piece of art in your hands. I just love to express my creativity in paper art,” she says. 

Visitors can also undertake a workshop on making handmade paper at the factory. The products made at the Paper Recycle Factory are sold at the Green Shop, with all proceeds going to the CUDP and eco-friendly initiatives of the area.

Products by CUDP