This publication summarizes practical experience from the ANAMAY Initiative—meaning “clean” in Lao—a 40-month project aimed at promoting household waste reduction and management in rural communities of Viengkham District, Luang Prabang Province, Lao PDR. The initiative was implemented by Agrisud International in partnership with local authorities, with financial support from the City of Paris and the Syctom Waste Management Authority. The project focused on three main intervention areas: raising awareness among residents and schoolchildren about plastic pollution, providing affordable alternatives through refill-based household product distribution systems, and supporting communities in developing village-level environmental sanitation plans. The final evaluation conducted in February 2024 showed a significant reduction in the volume of household waste generated each week across all categories studied, while the proportion of residents disposing of waste indiscriminately in the natural environment fell sharply from 50% to just 15%.
