Largest clean-up on Everest
Who
Sagarmatha Clean-Up Campaign 2019
Where
Nepal ()
When

Between 14 April and 29 May 2019, a total of 10,386 kilograms (22,897 lb) of garbage was collected on Mount Everest (aka Sagarmatha or Chomolungma), the world's highest mountain. An initiative led by the Nepalese Government's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, 12 Sherpas were engaged to conduct the physical clean-up operation. Approximately 5,700 kilograms (12,560 pounds) of the total litter came from Basecamp and nearby settlements, while the remainder was picked up from the higher-altitude camps (I to IV) and along the old Khumbu Icefall route.


Of the total trash collected, 5,049 kg (11,131 lb) were recycled (including glass, plastic bottles and aluminium cans), but the remaining non-recyclable material had to be incinerated or sent to landfill. The most common types of litter retrieved were wrappers, themo-insulation linings and broken glass.

In addition, as part of the 45-day operation, four bodies of people who had died while climbing Everest were also retrieved.

The clean-up was also assisted by the Ministry of Forests and Environment, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), the Nepali Army, the Nepal Mountaineering Association and the Nepal Tourism Board.