The 2024 Himalayan mountaineering season marks the start of a new high-altitude project on Mount Everest. This year, the Nepali army and multinational brand Unilever are partnering to remove tons of trash from the mountain. Since 2019, their Mountain Cleanup Campaign has successfully collected 110 tons of waste from Everest. In April 14, twelve military members and eighteen Sherpas will arrive at Everest Base Camp to continue the cleanup efforts.
In addition to removing an estimated ten tons of garbage, the army also plans to bring down five dead bodies of climbers who perished while attempting to summit Mount Everest. Last year, twelve climbers were confirmed dead on Everest with an additional five still unaccounted for. Most climbers on Everest attempt to summit via Nepal, where the government issued a record-high 478 hiking permits last year. However, overcrowding and trash pollution have been persistent problems on the mountain in recent years.
One major environmental issue on Everest has been human waste. To address this problem, all climbers in the 2024 season will be required to use government-distributed poop bags and bring their waste back down from the higher mountain camps. Additionally, climbers will be issued tracking chips for search and rescue missions for the first time this season. These new regulations aim to reduce environmental impact and improve safety on the world’s highest peak.
