India, May 23 -- Craving a break from Mumbai's chaos, I quit my cushy job in 2024 and moved to the Indian Himalayas as a digital nomad. Not long after, I stumbled upon the Waste Warriors Society (WWS). In Himachal Pradesh, vibrant murals caught my attention-two boys cheerfully cleaning in bright yellow gloves, and in Dharamshala, a striking installation shaped like a giant footprint crafted from plastic waste.

Curious, I asked a journalist friend in Dehradun about the organisation. His reply stuck with me: "They've made real, local change."

As I dug deeper, I discovered that for over a decade, Waste Warriors has been quietly transforming India's mountain regions-mobilising communities, especially Gen Z, through hands-on, hope-driven ca...