Posted on December 22, 2025
Mount Everest long revered as the iconic roof of the world has become increasingly burdened with trash left behind by decades of mountaineering expeditions. From discarded oxygen canisters and plastic bottles to ropes, tents, food wrappers and even human waste, the world’s tallest mountain has accumulated enormous amounts of garbage, drawing criticism from climbers, environmentalists and governments alike. In response, Nepal has unveiled its most ambitious effort yet to confront this growing environmental crisis: a five-year Everest Cleaning Action Plan, scheduled to run from 2025 to 2029, aimed at reducing waste on Everest and other high Himalayan peaks while also improving climber safety.
The policy, drafted by Nepal’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, comes after mounting concerns that Everest already a symbol of natural beauty and human endurance has been turning into a de facto dumping ground for refuse over many climbing seasons. Officials and mountaineering advocates argue that the lack of a long-term, structured approach to waste management has allowed the problem to deepen over years of sporadic cleanup efforts.
A striking testimony to the magnitude of the issue came from Japanese climber Ken Noguchi, who recounted that while he had always seen pristine images of the mountain on television, his on-site experience was very different: “Before going, I always saw images of beautiful Everest on TV. I thought it would be like that. But once I got there, I found litter everywhere,” he told the Kathmandu Post. This contrast underscores the urgency behind Nepal’s new approach.
Core Measures of the Five-Year Plan
One of the key elements of the action plan is a mandatory “Clean Mountain Briefing” that all climbing teams and expedition participants must attend before heading up the mountain. This briefing will focus on responsible waste practices and insist that climbers play an active role in minimizing and removing trash during their expeditions.
Another central component involves establishing a temporary waste collection centre at Camp II, located at about 6,750 metres (22,150 feet) on the mountain. Climbing teams will be obligated to bring back a minimum amount of waste from camps above base camp and deposit it at this location. By setting up checkpoints like this, officials hope to deter climbers from simply abandoning refuse at higher altitudes, where environmental conditions make it difficult to remove later.
Recognising the logistical and safety challenges of collecting trash at extreme elevations, the plan also calls for the exploration of innovative technologies. These include the potential use of ropeways and drones to assist in hauling garbage from areas that are too dangerous or remote to reach on foot, as well as testing GPS tracking systems to help locate and handle human remains responsibly.
In 2024, the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) responsible for pollution control in the Khumbu region that encompasses Mount Everest in conjunction with the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality had already made it compulsory for climbers to use special bags to collect human waste above base camp. This measure reflects growing awareness of the need to address all forms of waste, including biological matter that can pose health and environmental risks if left unmanaged.
Addressing Congestion and Environmental Stress
Beyond garbage collection, the five-year plan also tackles the broader issue of environmental pressure caused by high volumes of climbers. In recent years, Everest has been plagued by reports of “traffic jams,” where dozens of climbers rush to reach the summit during narrow windows of favourable weather, leading to dangerous congestion on exposed ridges and contributing further to environmental degradation. As part of the action plan, the government intends to formulate laws and policies to regulate the number of ascents and timing, accounting for the mountain’s natural carrying capacity and climbing conditions.
Another strategic initiative is a feasibility study on relocating Everest Base Camp, currently situated at roughly 5,364 metres (17,600 feet) on the unstable Khumbu Glacier. Frequent use of this area as a sprawling temporary city of tents and equipment has stressed local terrain and amplified environmental impacts. Officials believe moving the base camp to a safer and more sustainable location could reduce ecological harm and adapt to the glacier’s shifting conditions.
Historical Efforts and Growing Challenges
Attempts to clean Everest are not new. Past campaigns, including one launched in 2019 by local authorities, aimed to remove tonnes of refuse, but were hindered by limited funding, transparency challenges and the absence of an overarching policy framework. According to NDTV’s reporting, the Nepali Army and volunteer teams collected more than 119 tonnes of waste and multiple human remains over various operations, evidence of both progress and persistent scale of the problem.
The mountain’s waste issue is fuelled not only by discarded gear but also by plastic pollution which can take centuries to decompose and human excreta, which has been pushed to higher camps as expeditions intensify. These materials pose long-term threats to fragile alpine ecosystems and downstream water sources.
Looking Ahead
Nepal’s five-year Everest Cleaning Action Plan represents a significant development in the global effort to preserve one of the world’s most iconic natural landmarks. By combining regulatory measures, environmental technology, and heightened accountability, the plan seeks to transform how mountaineering and wilderness conservation coexist on Earth’s highest peak. Whether it succeeds in reversing decades of accumulated damage remains to be seen, but for the first time, Nepal has laid out a structured, long-term roadmap aimed at protecting Everest for future generations.