For years, Bhutan has struggled with growing plastic imports and limited recycling capacity. Clean Bhutan saw an opportunity where others saw trash. By transforming discarded bottles into soft polyester wool, the initiative created a new local value chain, one that links waste collection to production, entrepreneurship, and community livelihoods.
“We believe in the power of making things locally,” shares designer Sangee Wongu, who runs Daza’s Toy together with Tring Demo, highlighting the good that comes from their teamwork. “By using polyester wool crafted from recycled plastic here in Bhutan, we can skip the headaches of shipping and cut down on import costs. Even better, we’re helping to keep our environment clean and boosting our local economy.”
For Tring, the shift is about changing mindsets. “Most people just see plastic as rubbish, but we see a possibility. We’re showing that with a bit of imagination and hard work, discarded stuff can become beautiful, useful things.”
The Clean Bhutan initiative has been a gamechanger in empowering women, championing sustainability, building economic empowerment in local communities and developing a circular economy in Bhutan. Clean Bhutan is the first-ever initiative in Bhutan that produces produce polyester wool from wool from PS and PET plastic waste.
Dechen Choden, a single mother from the Trashi Yangtse district in eastern Bhutan, once struggled to support her two children through traditional weaving skills. After training with Clean Bhutan, she now works as a production manager at the PET shredding and polyester wool-making plant, mentoring young women workers helping them build stable incomes.
The founder of Clean Bhutan, Nedup Tshering, believes the initiative is more than recycling. ” Not many people in Bhutan know that polyester wool is made out of PET bottles. We are building a circular economy, turning waste into resources and resources into jobs.
Clean Bhutan’s vision is to expand this initiative to include the production of clothing made from recycled plastic, opening new avenues for local entrepreneurship. Through cleanup campaigns, skills training, and partnerships with women-led businesses, Clean Bhutan is reshaping how communities view waste.
