ASIA
BEAUTIFUL FELLOW
2ND COHORT
FINAL REPORT
ASIA
BEAUTIFUL FELLOW
2ND COHORT
FINAL REPORT
Treating textile wastes in sustainable way
Rajan Chakradhar
Upcycle Nepal
Established in 2018, Nepal
About
Upcycle Nepal promotes a circular economy in Nepal by transforming textile waste into valuable, sustainable products while empowering local communities through green employment and environmental education.
Sustainable Development Goals
ⓒ Pixabay
The worldwide fast-fashion culture has led to more people buying clothes often and dumping them quickly. Therefore, the volume of textile waste has increased, most of which is not recycled but landfilled or incinerated.
This trend imposes a heavy burden on our environment (European Parliament, 2025).
Nepal, a country renowned for its pristine natural heritage, is no exception. There are still several difficulties despite the Nepalese Government’s policies for waste management.
Local governments view the lack of citizens’ awareness and waste management facilities as a major problem(Central Bureau of Statistics, 2021). International organizations also point out that the waste management system rarely functions well due to similar factors (World Bank, 2020).
Upcycle Nepal offers high-value upcycling products to solve the textile waste problem in Nepal. Beyond reducing waste, Upcycle Nepal has struggled to improve people's awareness and change their actions, as well as make a circular ecosystem by cooperating with local communities, the government, and civil society.
Upcycle Nepal offers high-value upcycling products to solve the textile waste problem in Nepal. Beyond reducing waste, Upcycle Nepal has struggled to improve people's awareness and change their actions, as well as make a circular ecosystem by cooperating with local communities, the government, and civil society.
Waste Collection and Upcycling
Upcycle Nepal collects textile and plastic waste from households, municipalities, and partner organizations, transforming them into practical and durable products such as reusable bags, home decor, and accessories.
Community Empowerment and Employment
Upcycle Nepal provides training and green job opportunities to local women and youth, equipping them with green skills in sorting, stitching, and creative upcycling.
Awareness Education for Circular Economy
Upcycling Nepal organizes workshops, school programs, and public campaigns to educate communities about waste segregation, responsible consumption, and the benefits of upcycling.
Upcycled Products
Upcycle Nepal offers various products such as tote bags, laptop covers, table mats, accessories and lifestyle items by upcycling discarded fabrics, and customizes B2B solutions to upcycle wastes into branded merchandise, such as uniforms, banners, or other daily supplies.
Second-hand Clothes & Local Green-producer’s products
Upcycle Nepal promotes recycling culture and responsible consumption to citizens by merchandising recyclable clothes and local green manufacturer's products together at the offline thrift shop.
Awareness Education for Circular Fashion
Upcycle Nepal provides various education programs(workshops, campaigns, etc.) to students, citizens, and entrepreneurs, based on waste management and circular fashion curriculum, collaborating with international organizations, INGOs, and educational institutions.
Upcycle Nepal has contributed to more people and regions directly joining and gaining a new perspective on textile waste circularity.
Working with the local government, it has decreased the amount of textile waste discarded during collection and segregation of waste, and promoted circular fashion through diverse online and offline educational programs and campaigns.
(Benchmark: 2023.10 - 2025.10)
Textile Wastes Circulated through Upcycle Nepal
CO₂ Emissions Prevented through Waste Circulation
Donation Participant Expansion (Citizen Donors / Corporate and Institutional Partners)
Cooperative Regions Expansions
Workshops & Awareness Campaign Participants
Number of Local Women and Youth Employed or Offered Empowerment Education
Participating Environment · Entrepreneurship Programs for Youth
Rajan contributed to youth generation's awareness by participating environment·entrepreneurship program for Nepalese youth as speaker, judge, etc.
Environmental Education
Collaborative Projects
Collaborating with local governments and international institutions, Rajan offers projects such as waste management, circular economy education, workshops for citizens and entrepreneurs.
❶
Expanding Upcycle Nepal Store and Online Platform Nationwide
Rajan is scaling up physical and e-commerce thrift stores to all seven provinces. Rajan is also integrating digital inventory and payment systems to reach broader audiences and ensure consistent donor engagement.
❷
Introducing a “Green Label” Certification for Recycled Products
Rajan is launching a certification system in collaboration with local authorities and environmental organizations to recognize sustainable and ethically produced goods. This will build consumer trust and market differentiation.
❸
Establishing a National Upcycling and Textile Recovery Network
Rajan is making partnerships with municipalities, garment industries, and NGOs to create a structured collection, sorting, and upcycling network across major cities in Nepal. He will Introduce digital tracking for waste collection and material flow.
Asia Beautiful Fellow meant a lot for me and Upcycle Nepal.
Over the past two years, it has been a period of growth. While Upcycle Nepal had begun gaining traction locally, we needed a stronger foundation ─ operationally, financially, and strategically ─ to scale our impact. The Beautiful Store Foundation provided not only financial support, but also the mentorship, exposure, and accountability that helped shape the next phase of growth.
Professionally, the fellowship enhanced my capacity as both a leader and a strategist. I learned to approach sustainability not simply as an environmental concept, but as an integrated model of business, community, and circular value. Writing monthly reports to articulate our impact, set realistic goals, and consistently track progress felt unfamiliar at first, but it has now become a core part of how Upcycle Nepal operates.
On a personal level, the fellowship marked a turning point. I developed resilience to move forward with hope even in uncertainty, as well as confidence in representing our organization and sharing our stories. Through this journey, I gained a deeper understanding of my own strengths and weaknesses. I also came to realize that sustainable leadership is grounded in long-term thinking, empathy, and the ability to engage and bring people along.
Co-founder of Upcycle Nepal
Pushpa SthapitCo-founder of Upcycle Nepal
Over the two years of the Fellowship, Rajan has grown a lot.
Through close communication with The BSF team, Rajan has gained both confidence and valuable knowledge. When challenges arise, Rajan engages in dialogue with The BSF, drawing on the support and insights gained through the Fellowship. The experiences Rajan gained during this time have helped deepen their understanding of Upcycle Nepal's work, and the knowledge gained through The BSF has become a shared asset for both me and our organization.
Rajan was already a strong leader, but today I believe they have developed a truly well-rounded leadership profile. Naturally calm and composed, Rajan now combines this strength with greater confidence and a broad base of knowledge. Rajan also actively shares the networks they have built through the fellowship with The BSF, and their personal growth has become a key driver of our organization’s continued development.
Rajan consistently brings forward ideas and solutions, many of which stem directly from what they learned through The BSF. He often says, “The BSF believes in and supports us, we need to succeed.” Thanks to the Fellowship, Rajan and Upcycle Nepal have been able to take meaningful steps forward and move closer to achieving our goals.
Travel writer/Photographer (Upcycle Nepal’s Collaborative Partner)
Bishal PradhanTravel writer/Photographer (Upcycle Nepal’s Collaborative Partner)
Rajan is a proactive leader with a broad and holistic perspective. He consistently engages with government stakeholders, presenting ideas and persistently advocating for the importance of upcycling. At the same time, he actively creates job opportunities for women, working alongside them to produce bags and other products while supporting women’s empowerment in practice.
In the past, Upcycle Nepal was waiting people coming to donate clothing. Today, Rajan takes a far more hands-on approach — visiting schools, offices, and even relatives’ homes to collect materials directly. He carefully considers what kinds of products can be created from different materials and applies Upcycle Nepal’s expertise to design new, functional products. Even now, the team continues to develop multiple prototypes, constantly researching how practical and useful these products can be for everyday use.
Rajan is a hands-on leader who leads from the front. He's deeply involved on the ground, showing people how collected materials can be cleaned, processed, and transformed into high-quality new products. Together with the team, he participates in large shopping mall events as well as small weekend markets, engaging directly with the public. Through these efforts, Upcycle Nepal goes beyond simply promoting recycling — they actively communicate the environmental importance and value of upcycling products.
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