The initiative taken by a group of women from Lalitpur has been internationally lauded by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). The Women Environment Preservation Committee (WEPCO) made it to the Global 500 Roll of Honour for its outstanding contributions towards the protection of the environment.

Established in 1992, WEPCO is a non-profit organisation that made 'disorganised garbage' its priority after identifying the growing volume of waste generated by increasing population and excessive consumption as one of the most urgent problems facing the city. Supported by the sale of recycled paper and garbage collection services, WEPCO runs training sessions on environmental awareness among community women and has formed 90 eco-clubs in schools. More than 6,000 students in six districts are involved in creating awareness in household waste management in their communities. WEPCO applies the principle of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle to the garbage they collect from more than 3,000 households in Lalitpur. The award will be presented to Sarada Vaidya, president of WEPCO, in Beirut, Lebanon by Klaus Toepfer, UNEP's executive director, at the World Environment Day ceremonies on 5 June.