Nepal is set to scrap its long-running waste deposit scheme for Mount Everest after officials admitted it failed to curb the growing garbage problem on the world’s highest peak. The decision comes more than a decade after the policy was introduced to tackle mounting environmental damage caused by climbing expeditions.
Under the scheme, the climbers were required to pay a refundable deposit of $4,000, which was returned only if they brought back at least 8 kg of waste from the mountain. However, Nepal’s tourism authorities have now acknowledged that the initiative did not deliver any meaningful results. Speaking to the BBC, officials said that the policy had become an administrative burden while waste continued to pile up, particularly at higher camps.
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According to estimates, Mount Everest is strewn with nearly 50 tonnes of rubbish, including discarded tents, food packaging, oxygen bottles and even human waste. While most climbers did retrieve trash from lower camps, authorities noted that the most polluted areas like the higher-altitude camps remained largely untouched.
Why the deposit scheme fell short?
Himal Gautam, director at Nepal’s tourism department, told the BBC that the garbage problem “has not gone away,” despite most climbers receiving their deposits back. Tshering Sherpa, chief executive officer of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, said climbers tend to bring down only oxygen cylinders from higher camps, leaving behind bulkier items such as tents and cans.
On average, a climber produces up to 12 kg of waste during a six-week expedition, officials said. Limited monitoring beyond the Khumbu Icefall checkpoint further weakened enforcement.
Nepal now plans to replace the deposit system with a non-refundable clean-up fee, likely set at the same $4,000 amount. The money will fund permanent monitoring at higher camps, including Camp Two, and support the deployment of mountain rangers to ensure waste is brought down.
The policy shift is part of a new five-year mountain clean-up action plan introduced by the tourism ministry, aimed at addressing environmental damage across Nepal’s peaks.
Reacting to the move, an Indian mountaineer, Shuvam Chatterjee currently pursuing the goal of becoming the youngest person in the world to scale all seven summits said the problem reflects a deeper lack of responsibility among climbers.
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“This isn’t the first time we’ve seen mountains like Everest turn into dumping grounds. From Everest to other popular peaks, the story repeats itself as people arrive chasing summits and leave behind their waste. If you climb a mountain, you owe it respect. What you carry up, you should carry back down.”
He further added, “Mount Everest has carried the weight of human ambition for decades. It should not have to carry our waste too.”
Officials say the revised system, once approved by parliament, is expected to come into force soon.
