Everest’s tourism boom boosts Nepal’s economy but fuels pollution, with tonnes of trash, abandoned gear, microplastics and 14 tonnes of human faecal waste left each season.

Nepal has unveiled its first ever five-year Everest Cleaning Action Plan (2025–2029) in a bid to tackle the growing environmental crisis on the world’s highest peak, a problem that has long drawn concern from climbers, scientists and conservationists alike. The comprehensive strategy aims to reverse decades of pollution that have transformed parts of Mount Everest into what critics have called “the world’s highest garbage dump.”

For years, Everest’s slopes and camps have borne the brunt of unmanaged waste – from discarded oxygen canisters and plastic bottles to human excreta and abandoned equipment left behind by climbers, guides and trek support staff. Melting snow and ice due to climate change further expose trash buried by past expeditions, compounding risks to fragile high-altitude ecosystems and downstream communities that depend on Himalayan watersheds.

A Crisis Exposed: Waste on the Roof of the World

Mount Everest’s popularity among climbers and adventure tourists has brought lucrative economic gains to Nepal, but also a mounting waste problem. Reports from environmental groups and scientists reveal that each climbing season generates tonnes of waste, ranging from food packaging and tents to frozen human waste at high camps that persists in the extreme cold and never decomposes naturally.

Solid waste includes abandoned gear such as ropes, ladders and oxygen cylinders, while microplastics from synthetic clothing and equipment have been detected in snow up to elevations above 8,400 metres, underscoring how pervasively pollution has penetrated the mountain environment.

Human waste remains one of the most intractable issues. Climbers and support crews produce an estimated around 14 tonnes of human waste per season, but only a fraction is collected and managed formally. Faecal matter that freezes in place poses health hazards and risks contaminating glacial meltwater that feeds rivers used by communities far below the high Himalayan treeline.

Policy Shift: From Ad Hoc Cleanup to Structured Action

Although Nepal has previously implemented measures – such as requiring climbers to carry back at least 8 kilograms of waste or forfeit a deposit – critics argue that enforcement has been inconsistent, and much trash remains untouched on the mountain’s steep slopes.

The five-year action plan, officially rolled out by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation on December 18, marks a significant shift from episodic cleanup drives to a policy-backed, long-term approach. It responds in part to a 2024 Supreme Court order directing authorities to establish clear regulations limiting climber numbers based on carrying capacity and improving waste management provisions.

Key elements of the plan include:

• Feasibility studies to relocate Everest Base Camp, currently perched on unstable glacial terrain that becomes congested with tents, stoves and generators during peak seasons.
• Mandatory accounting of ropes, ladders and other gear used above Base Camp, with expedition teams responsible for bringing back all installed equipment.
• Biodegradability requirements for banners and prayer flags left on the mountain.
• Temporary garbage collection points at higher camps, such as Camp II at 6,750 metres, to ensure waste from upper slopes is systematically gathered.
• Awareness campaigns and pre-expedition briefings requiring climbers and agencies to commit in writing to waste management protocols.
• Creation of a permanent mountain welfare fund financed by non-refundable environmental fees paid by climbers, supplementing existing deposits tied to waste returns.

Officials are also proposing the formation of “Mountain Rangers” – trained climbers tasked with monitoring waste management practices – and exploring drone technology to remove waste from high-altitude zones.

Challenges and Costs Ahead

While the draft plan has outlined a budget of Nepalese Rs. 308 million for cleanup efforts, officials acknowledge that the real financial requirement could exceed Rs1 billion. Funding gaps, logistical hurdles and the sheer scale of the problem remain formidable barriers.

Environmental advocates note that enforcement of waste rules must be significantly strengthened. Even with formal requirements, climbers sometimes abandon trash or forfeit deposits rather than carry waste back down hundreds of kilometres of treacherous terrain.

Some proposed measures, such as raising climbing permit fees and earmarking revenue for cleanup efforts, aim to harness the economic value of Everest tourism to support environmental protection. But critics say that without robust monitoring and transparent implementation, policy alone cannot solve deep-seated waste issues.

A Global Test Case for Sustainable Mountaineering

Nepal’s Everest cleanup initiative comes amid growing international concern over the environmental footprint of adventure tourism. Viral images and reports of trash-choked camps – including discarded tents and human waste even near the summit – have sparked outrage and highlighted the ethical challenges of climbing at extreme altitudes.

Experts argue that successful waste management on Everest could serve as a model for sustainable practices in high-altitude environments globally. Integrating waste minimisation, climber accountability and community engagement is seen as critical to safeguarding fragile ecosystems while preserving access for future generations.

Image: Tourists photographing Everest. Peter West Carey. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0