Nepal is preparing to unveil a five-year Everest cleaning strategy, following a Supreme Court order, as the world’s highest peak—often called Earth’s tallest garbage dump—struggles under decades of waste.

Experts say the alarming amount of waste collected each season underscores the urgent need for sustainable mountaineering practices. Melting snow and ice caused by climate change further exposes previously buried garbage and even human remains, worsening contamination of the watershed and posing health risks to downstream communities.

A draft of the Clean Mountain Strategy (2025–2029), obtained by the Post, proposes a Rs308 million fund for Everest clean-up efforts.

But insiders say the real cost will exceed Rs1 billion.

The plan envisions forming a team of “Mountain Rangers,” composed of climbers, to monitor and manage waste at Everest Base Camp and higher camps. The draft also calls for exploring the use of drones to collect waste above the base camp.

For decades, the burden of litter has scarred the Everest region. Hundreds of climbers, Sherpas, guides, and porters leave behind tonnes of waste—ranging from oxygen canisters, plastic bottles, ropes, kitchen scraps, and human waste—polluting both the slopes and settlements downstream.

Plastic remains a particular menace.

It can take up to 500 years for a single plastic bag to biodegrade. If burned, it poisons the air; if buried, it pollutes the soil. As climbing traffic has increased, plastic has steadily crept higher up the mountain, turning Everest into a glaring symbol of environmental neglect.

“The strategy is part of the Supreme Court’s order,” said Himal Gautam, director at the Department of Tourism. “It is still in draft form, but will be implemented soon.”

The draft notes that shorter climbing seasons caused by worsening weather demand stricter regulation. It proposes limiting climbing permits by assessing the mountain’s carrying capacity and available services.

The Supreme Court last year ordered the government to issue permits only after specifying the number of climbers. The directive came amid traffic jams on the summit ridge and growing trash piles.

According to the Himalayan Database, an authoritative climbing archive set up by the late Elizebeth Hawley, more than 200 people died on the Nepal side of Everest between 1953, when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa first summited, and 2022.

Waste collection figures also reveal the magnitude of the problem. The Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee reported clearing 85 tonnes of garbage during the 2024 spring season alone, including nearly 28 tonnes of human waste. The Nepali Army cleared another 11 tonnes.

To reduce pressure, Nepal has sharply raised climbing fees. Under revised regulations, the per person royalty for foreigners climbing via the south route in spring has jumped from $11,000 to $15,000.

As per the proposed strategy, climbers will also be required to pay a refundable garbage deposit, returned only if waste is brought back, as well as a non-refundable environmental fee.

A portion of climbing revenues will be earmarked for clean-up campaigns, with provisions for local community involvement.

The strategy says expedition operators should also be charged waste management fees under the “polluter pays” principle.

A Mountain Clean-up Campaign Fund will be created, and climbers will be required to carry human waste bottles.

Industry leaders say Nepal is already late.

“We proposed a $100 non-refundable per climber fee in 2010,” said Dambar Parajuli, president of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal. “Had it been implemented, the fund would have exceeded Rs1 billion by now.” China introduced a similar measure in 2014.

According to Parajuli, Everest’s Camp IV is the most polluted site, and cleaning it requires enormous resources. “We estimate a minimum of Rs1 billion for five years,” he said. “But frequent policy changes due to unstable governments have prevented consistent action.”

The draft strategy introduces stricter rules on equipment and materials.

Rope-fixing teams above base camp must report their annual use of ladders and nylon ropes—about 400 kg of which are left behind each year, according to the Nepal Mountain Academy. These ropes, often buried in snow, can stay there for decades.

Banners and prayer flags above base camp must be biodegradable and standardised.

Non-biodegradable materials must be returned for verification. Every climber must bring back at least 3 kg of waste, which will be monitored at Camp II by both Mountain Rangers and waste management associations.

Poop bags will be compulsory above base camp, and authorities will check that climbers bring them back. Equipment lists for each expedition will also be logged to ensure accountability.

The strategy also emphasises transparency and global engagement. Progress will be shared internationally, and a third-party independent monitoring team will conduct annual assessments. A GPS-based tracking system will be piloted to monitor climbers’ movements.

In addition, the government plans to integrate environmental awareness into local curricula and introduce educational materials nationwide.

Some measures have already started.

Since 2024, climbers above base camp are required to use poop bags under the initiative of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality.

With Everest’s global reputation at stake, officials hope the new strategy will balance mountaineering ambitions with environmental responsibility. But experts caution that unless funds match the scale of the challenge, the world’s highest peak’s image as the most visible garbage dump could endure.