The World's Highest Garbage Dump by Suchitaa Sawhney

Which is a picture of the garbage on Mt. Everest and which is a picture of a landfill?
Credit: Caters

Actually, both are pictures of the garbage on Mt. Everest. It is shocking to see how people have made one of the world’s most beautiful sites into a dumping ground for food cans, torn tents, and empty oxygen bottles, among other items.

Since the peak was first summited in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, over 4000 people have climbed the 29,035-foot high Himalayan peak, leaving behind mountains of litter in their tracks.
Image result for trash on everest
Thankfully, since 2014 Nepal has become more strict on enforcing its rules, or at least one rule in particular: pick up after yourself. More specifically, if a climber returns with less than 18 pounds of trash, which is the average amount that is discarded during the climb, there are significant consequences, including forfeiting a hefty 4000 dollar deposit. Similarly, in Tibet, mountaineers are required to bring down the same amount and are fined $100 per every two pounds they don’t. Additionally, governments give Sherpas a cash reward for oxygen tanks that they bring down the mountain, which has encouraged the local guides to bring them down off the slopes, even if visitors do not.
While the enforcement of this rule is progress, the solution is not entirely effective. For example, when many rich climbers are spending anywhere from $20,000-100,000 for the experience they don’t care about losing their $4000 dollar deposit, especially if it means being to enjoy their climb. Also, climbers let their Sherpas carry almost all their gear — meaning the guides are not able to carry trash down the mountain too.

-Do you think that the fine is enough to solve the issue?
-What do you think is the best solution to this issue?
-While Nepal’s current solution may solve more littering from occurring, what is the best way to get the trash that is already there?

Sources-

Comments

Anonymous said…
It is vital for cleanup efforts to begin on Mt. Everest and for current climbers to do as much as they can in order to reduce their own waste. People who climb Mt. Everest routinely leave behind empty oxygen cylinder, tin cans, torn tents, steroids, and more on the mountain as well as how increasing temperatures cause glaciers to melt, which carries cast aside human excrement/waste to villages that lie in the lowlands and causes water supply contamination. I believe that a fine will not be enough in order to encourage people into not leaving behind excessive amounts of waste on the mountain since some people can easily pay that fine just for the convenience of not having to dispose of their waste properly. Other potentially more effective methods to reduce waste on Mt. Everest are increasing the monetary amount of the fine, creating more educational opportunities to teach climbers before climbing Mt.Everest regarding the trash issue, and gathering more volunteers that would be willing to aid in the clean up effort. (Source: https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2014/05/28/the-mess-on-everest-and-how-to-clean-it-up).
April 9, 2019 at 6:50 AM
Anonymous said…
It truly is disappointing to see how tourists have turned a fascinating site into a mountain synonymous with death, exploitation and pollution. I think that the government regulations have been a step in the right direction to clean up the mess. Furthermore, the Tibet government is now planning to install sorting, recycling, and degradation stations throughout the camping areas of the mountain. However, Mt Everest is only one among many to manifest the impact humans have had on the environment. Each of us has the power to take little steps to reduce the amount of disposables, particularly plastic, that we produce. From bringing a reusable water bottle to work and always remembering to carry a cloth tote bag, we can keep hundreds of plastics out of landfills and oceans every year.
April 9, 2019 at 6:01 PM
Anonymous said…
Although I recognize the Tibet's efforts to reduce the amount of waste on Mount Everest, I do not believe these initiatives will be enough. Hikers will continue to dump waste on the mountains regardless of policies. In response to these issues, I believe that hikers should begin adopting more eco-friendly products such as biodegradable materials. To reduce the current amount of waste on Mount Everest, countries could send small expeditions with the sole purpose of cleaning up the mountain. This could hopefully be beneficial in preserving our environment.
April 9, 2019 at 9:02 PM
Anonymous said…
Pollution has become such a huge issue in our world and the fact that people don’t even recognize the unique nature of Mt. Everest and pollute it like that is terrible. Although Tibet has made attempts to remediate this issue, the efforts are not effective enough. For one, the fees need to be increased by a lot and there need to be other drastic consequences in place. The pollution on Mt. Everest is a good example of how careless and unappreciative our world has become and people to be made aware of their actions. For now, there should be clean up efforts made to fix all the pollution that has already affected Mt. Everest and in the future this pollution should be completely stopped. This is the only way we can preserve the magnificent natural phenomenons on this Earth.
April 10, 2019 at 10:31 AM
Anonymous said…
I do not believe that the fine is enough to clean the area. The fine clearly has not stopped the amount of trash, so the fine is not enough to stop the trash. I believe the easiest way for tourist to decrease their trash is to use eco friendly products that are biodegradable. That way, even if they dispose of their trash, it would be beneficial to the environment, compared to just throwing normal trash on Everest. Another way to decrease the trash is to have people monitoring areas so that they can see if people are dropping trash. That way, the fine would be more effective because now people are actually watching them.
April 10, 2019 at 12:26 PM
Anonymous said…
I believe that most of the time when someone thinks of pollution they think of a landfill or smoke in the air, but this is a whole other issue that is not often talked about . The fact that there is a mountain of filth the size of Mt. Everest is completely awful and I don't think that the fine alone is not enough to make up for the damage this mountain causes . While yes, efforts to clean this area is a step in the right direction, we need to think about how to mend the negative effects of the pollution and come up with alternative ways to get rid of waste in order to not further the growth and damage of the mountain of waste and pollution.
April 10, 2019 at 12:44 PM
Anonymous said…
This article was very enlightening, I had absolutely no idea that there was trash, let alone this much trash on Mt. Everest. If the already implemented fine is not sufficient enough to help slow down the pollution, we should implement other ways to help stop it such as stronger legal action or an even heavier fine. Another way we can try to solve the problem is to encourage biodegradable materials up on the climb in order to prevent heavy pollution.
April 10, 2019 at 12:55 PM
Anonymous said…
These regulations attempting to stop litter/trash buildup on Mount Everest is a step in the right direction, but may not be restrictive enough to solve the issue. I think the post brings up an insightful point: many climbers, who are generally rich, will be almost unaffected by financial penalties. While more severe consequences, such as jail time, may be too intense, I believe that the Nepali government should create harsher restrictions with more impactful penalties. Mount Everest is a site of cultural, aesthetic, and environmental significance, and it’s important to preserve it. Travelers throwing trash shouldn’t be excused, and more should be done to resolve the issue.
April 12, 2019 at 12:45 PM
Anonymous said…
These fines are not enough to prevent littering on Mount Everest. I think one additional step that can be taken is to limit what people can take up mountains and to require them to leave sufficient room in their backpack for trash. Furthermore, the fine should be held much higher. Right now the fine isn’t enough to prevent people from coming down without trash. The fine should be lifted high enough that nobody would dare come down without their trash. If someone happens to have less trash because they didn’t take as much up they can help return the mountain to its natural beauty by picking up some of the litter that was left there.
April 12, 2019 at 1:10 PM
Anonymous said…
Mount Everest is known for its sights and not its trash. I think that bringing more awareness to this issue is a huge step to solving this problem. I think that people should be more aware about what they are doing to the natural environment when adding to the trash pile. It is important to add regulations to stop these acts of littering so that we do not face more harsh consequences. Furthermore, I think that the fines are not adequate enough and the government should hold more strict regulations upon this issue. Mount Everest should not be remembered for its trash.
April 12, 2019 at 1:20 PM
Anonymous said…
Seeing these pictures makes me very sad because the Himalayas, one of the most iconic and beautiful global destinations, isn’t remaining untouched by man like in the past. When I picture Mount Everest, I think of a glorious peak with snow untainted by any trash or pollutants. The reality of the situation is sad because the problem is continuing, even with the implementation of new policies and fines. I think people should be more respectful of the people who take care of the area because it’s difficult to pick up after others in such harsh conditions. If people are unwilling to pick up their trash, they shouldn’t be allowed to take it up the mountain with them. If this means enforcing stronger regulations against littering, then that is what should be done.
April 12, 2019 at 1:22 PM
Anonymous said…
Mount Everest seems like a very hard place to clean up becuase very few people are capable of climbing up. But the people who climb up throw out trash because they don’t care so it the cleanup is very hard to happen. Laws must be set to counteract this.






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April 15, 2019 at 7:43 AM
Anonymous said…
When I think about Mount Everest I think of the beauty of the mountain, not the trash that covers it. It’s sad to see how much trash on piled up on the mountain. It’s going to be very hard to clean up the area because of the danger of climbing and the high elevations. Regulations definitely need to be put in place to control the build up of the trash. If the new polices made have not worked, more need to be put in place and enforced.
April 15, 2019 at 10:11 AM
Anonymous said…
It is very sad that such a beautiful destination is littered with trash in this manner and that those that climb this peak do not have the respect to at the least leave the mountain the same way that they found it if not cleaner. However, although the fines are a good effort, I don’t feel that they are a very effective because it assumes the amount of trash that a climber would need to dispose. For instance they could use more than the 18 lbs and not be reprimanded for only bringing part of that down as there is no way to prove this as people can’t climb the mountain just to make sure.
April 15, 2019 at 10:12 AM
Mahir Vohra said…
Although I believe that cleanup efforts should begin near Mt. Everest, I think it is also important to keep in mind that the nations that surround the Himalayas are developing countries, meaning that they likely won't use their very limited resources to pick up trash. Instead, they will use it to develop technology to help mass produce goods, which will actually harm the environment. Aside from the economic aspect, it is a shame that such a beautiful place is covered in trash. As humans, we have a tendency to think that we are the only beings in this world, so why not just throw everything wherever, right? Wrong. If we want to be here much longer and enjoy what time we have left we have to keep waste down and keep our natural sights beautiful.
April 15, 2019 at 3:33 PM
Anonymous said…
This blog post was very interesting. Who knew there was all this trash accumulating at Mount Everest? I had no idea and I’m sure others are still not aware. That is why I think it is important for this to be brought to the attention of more people so others are educated on the effects and consequences. Regulations should be enacted to control the trash and help preserve such a beautiful place.
April 15, 2019 at 6:26 PM
Anonymous said…
I was not aware of the trash accumulating at Mount Everest, one of the most well known mountains in history. We need to aid developing countries to help remove the trash from Mount Everest, so we can preserve the pristine beauty of it. Developed countries should run awareness programs so other developed countries can join in the effort to save Mount Everest. With our aid, Mount Everest can be restored to its former glory.
April 15, 2019 at 6:40 PM
Jibran Khalil said…
The level of trash on Mount Everest is shocking; I expect such an isolated area to be less harmed by human interactions. Preserving these natural sites is critical. They might not be severely damaged today or tomorrow, but, within a few centuries, places like Mount Everest could lose their natural beauty. Regulations, like you mentioned, are necessary for preservation and keeping monuments of nature intact. Through hefty fines and strict punishments, we can assure that places such as Mount Everest can retain the beauty that makes them so unique in the first place.
April 15, 2019 at 6:56 PM
Anonymous said…
This was a very interesting and eye opening read as I never could have imagined that a beautiful sight such as Mount Everest could be littered with so much trash and imperfections. A natural beauty of nature should not be harmed or littered by human ignorance and instead should be given the proper care and respect a site such as Mount Everest warrents. Stricter regulations must be made and if results don’t occur fast enough, more changes must be made quickly.
April 15, 2019 at 7:21 PM
Mallory Odom said…
I didn't realize there was this much trash residing on Mount Everest. It's disappointing to see of the worlds most beautiful landmarks being tainted by human carelessness. I think stricter regulations should be put into place to help preserve the environment of Mount Everest because there could be many dangerous consequences to the ecosystem if trash continues to pollute the area at the rate it already has.
April 15, 2019 at 8:27 PM
Anonymous said…
These type of things bother me as I feel like we should have such higher expectations as a race of how we take care of our planet. I found the detail about rich climbers not minding the fine quite interesting. It’s true that most of the climbers our probably quite wealthy and feel unbothered by paying a 4000 dollar fine for convenience. However, they still do pay the fine and o would hope some of that money is returned to rem owing the trash. As far as methods for removing the trash go it would be quite a difficult process as the trash is located in such a precarious spot.
April 15, 2019 at 8:36 PM
Anonymous said…
Its is appalling to see one of the natural wonders of this planet being desecrated by so much garbage. Mount Everest deserves much more respect and care than it seems to have, and stricter regulations must be imposed to protect it. Mount Everest is a gift to us from nature, and we would do well to protect this gift.
April 16, 2019 at 12:08 PM
Anonymous said…
Mount Everest is beautiful and we need to make sure that we can easily take care of it forever. We need to aid developing countries to help remove the trash from Mount Everest, so we can preserve the pristine beauty of it. We must make sure that we are able to forever regulate trash and make sure that we can completely get rid of trash for the future.
April 16, 2019 at 12:24 PM
Luke Farinelli said…
I remember reading another article about how the fecal matter that people produced on the mountain was actually causing sickness and other major problems. It’s a shame how capitalized such a beautiful place is. Regulations definitely need to be strong and enforced because it’s not only detrimental to the mountain and wildlife but the people as well. Super sad
April 16, 2019 at 1:15 PM
Lauren Pan said…
With the increasing popularity of climbers looking to climb Mount Everest each and every spring climbing season, trash has become a serious problem. Often, climbers leave items like empty oxygen bottles, discarded food cans and torn tents in an attempt to save weight, and in turn conserve energy at the oxygen-starved altitude. But like any trash, it soon piles up. So a national clean up campaign has been instituted, using the help of Nepal's major airline and local sherpas and yaks. Collecting the trash is no easy feat, as it involves days of walking by porters using yaks to pack it out from a string of villages leading to base camp. Ultimately, it’s upon the backs of sherpas, who bare most of the brunt for the popularity of summiting Mount Everest, that the tallest peak in the world will become a little cleaner.
April 16, 2019 at 5:58 PM
Anonymous said…
I had no idea that so much trash was being left on Mount Everest. That’s crazy. I think their solution of taxing individuals for leaving trash is a good idea. However, I can see the problem with the numerous wealthy climbers. Maybe they could make the fine more expensive? Or assess every case differently and cater the fine. I definitely think more awareness needs to be brought to this situation.
April 17, 2019 at 4:07 PM
Anonymous said…
Mount Everest is one of nature’s greatest creations and to see that it is being used as a landfill is truly disheartening. I think people need to understand the importance of this mountain environmentally and culturally. One way we can reduce the trash on this mountain is providing aid in developing proper waste facilities in these developing nations. In order to preserve this landmark we must take proper care and caution so we can keep the mountain clean.
April 18, 2019 at 8:19 AM
Abby Jung said…
I actually read up on this a few years ago, and needless to say, I was utterly disappointed. You would think that those people who cared about their health and the environment would pick up after themselves, but how far are we from the truth. When laws and fines have to be imposed to keep the area clean, that means we aren't being considerate enough about the place. Perhaps if we started to care for the environment more, we would have less of these problems and less of these fines.
- Abby Jung
April 24, 2019 at 12:18 PM
Anonymous said…
It is interesting that climbers who climb Mount Everest to reach its apex and experience the view from the top of the world litter the mountain with trash. It would seem like that these climbers would have a deeper respect for the mountain because of the mountains beauty and adventure. It is good that tighter restrictions have been put on littering to reduce the amount of litter on the mountain. It is important to conserve nature and its beauty to the best of our abilities.
-Adam Ghanem
April 26, 2019 at 8:15 PM
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