TIEEDI wins silver at Global Responsible Tourism Awards

REZA PRADHAN

DARJEELING,: TIEEDI Permaculture Foundation, an environmental organisation based in Darjeeling, has won the silver medal in the Global Responsible Tourism Awards (RTA) 2025 at a programme held in London on Monday.

Organised by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) Global, the award recognises TIEEDI’s efforts in waste management and responsible tourism.

The foundation was shortlisted for the global award after securing gold in the regional round of the RTA, hosted by ICRT India Sub-Continent. The ICRT, a not-for-profit organisation with a global presence, aims to enhance international knowledge and understanding of responsible tourism.

“This award is a validation of the fact that a few committed individuals can bring about revolutionary change. Our team includes students, locals, and people from the corporate sector working together for a common cause. This is just the beginning. We hope to make the entire Darjeeling region zero-waste,” said Utsow Pradhan, founder of TIEEDI. He added that one of their patrons, Ritu Raj Chettri, received the award on their behalf in London.

According to the ICRT website, TIEEDI, located at Sonada near Darjeeling town, has organised over 3,000 workshops and transformed a 1.5-acre former dumping ground into a thriving forest garden through its permaculture-based zero-waste homestay, forest gardens, and eco-architecture initiatives.

“In the TIEEDI Forest Stay, we host visitors in structures made of natural materials. It is a form of volunteer tourism, where guests contribute to the community by engaging in activities such as waste collection,” Pradhan explained.

Since its formation in 2016, TIEEDI has successfully diverted 10,000 kg of waste from landfills. The organisation has involved about 500 households in waste composting and helped create 100 zero-waste households, where even dry waste is collected and recycled. Their current efforts are focused in Rangbull and Sonada, involving not just households but also homestays, monasteries, colleges, and schools.

Earlier this year, TIEEDI partnered with Tetra Pak, a global leader in food processing and packaging solutions, to launch a recycling initiative for used beverage cartons across Darjeeling district. Through this project, waste workers collect used cartons from households and businesses, which are then sent for recycling.

The foundation has also expanded its work beyond the region. In Telangana, TIEEDI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU), Nalgonda, to collaborate on the Climate Action Leadership Programme. The initiative aims to empower youth to lead environmental regeneration efforts, while providing structured internships that earn academic credits for the students participating in live social impact projects.

Speaking about their upcoming initiatives, Pradhan said, “We are currently working on establishing a Waste Innovation Centre, designed as a livelihood project. We are also conducting capacity-building programmes on waste management for the government. Recently, we held a technical training programme at the block level in Takdah, which will benefit around 20,000 households. Takdah Block was officially launched as the first zero-waste block last month.”