Nepal has announced it will end its long‑running Mount Everest waste deposit scheme after concluding the policy has failed to stem the tide of litter on the world’s highest peak. The decision, announced by tourism officials on December 30, 2025, comes amid growing frustration over tens of tonnes of garbage littering the Everest route — despite more than a decade of efforts to make climbers accountable for their waste.
A Decade of Failed Incentives
The waste deposit system was introduced more than 11 years ago to tackle the mountain’s mounting rubbish problem. Under the scheme, mountaineers were required to pay a refundable deposit of about $4,000 (around £2,960) that could only be reclaimed if they returned with at least 8 kg (18 lbs) of waste at the end of their expedition.
While most climbers did technically comply by bringing some trash down — mostly from lower camps — authorities concluded the scheme “failed to show a tangible result” because the most visible and environmentally damaging waste remains at higher elevations.
Officials also said the program had become an administrative burden and lacked meaningful enforcement, especially at the high camps above the Khumbu Icefall where monitoring is logistically difficult and dangerous.
Why the Scheme Didn’t Work
Authorities and environmental managers have pointed to several structural flaws that made the deposit system ineffective:
- Lower Versus Higher Camps: Most rubbish returned under the scheme came from lower camps, while significant volumes of waste — from tents, food packaging and other gear — remain abandoned at higher altitude camps.
- Monitoring Gaps: There is little ability to track climbers’ waste disposal practices beyond a single checkpoint, meaning there was no reliable system to ensure trash was removed from remote parts of the mountain.
- Under‑reported Production: Officials estimate that an average climber produces up to 12 kg (26 lbs) of waste during an expedition of several weeks — more than what the current refundable requirement demanded.
These limitations have allowed rubbish to accumulate at higher camps and along climbing routes, contributing to estimates that at least tens of tonnes of waste continue to pollute Mount Everest’s fragile environment.
What Comes Next: A Non‑Refundable Fee and Clean‑Up Fund
In place of the deposit system, Nepalese authorities plan to introduce a non‑refundable clean‑up fee, likely set at the same level — around $4,000 per climber — subject to parliamentary approval. Policy Wire
The revenue from this fee will be used to:
- Establish additional waste monitoring checkpoints at key camps such as Camp Two
- Deploy dedicated mountain rangers to oversee waste collection higher up the mountain
- Build a long‑term funding pool for cleanup efforts and enforcement
Tourism officials say this approach will help direct funds specifically toward sustainable waste management and enforcement, rather than returning most deposits to climbers regardless of high‑altitude compliance.
Support From Local Communities
Local leaders from the Sherpa community — who have long been on the front lines of Everest’s environmental and tourism challenges — have welcomed the change. For years, they questioned the waste deposit’s effectiveness and urged more systematic and enforceable measures that address the real problem: persistent waste high on the mountain.
Mingma Sherpa, chairperson of the Pasang Lhamu rural municipality, said the non‑refundable fee could finally create a designated fund for clean‑up and monitoring, addressing concerns that under the old system there was little accountability for climbers who left gear and packaging behind.
A Five‑Year Clean‑Up Action Plan
The new fee structure is part of a broader five‑year mountain clean‑up action plan aimed at tackling waste across Nepal’s major peaks, not just Everest. Government sources say the initiative will combine enforcement with environmental stewardship policies developed in consultation with local authorities, conservation groups and the mountaineering community.
While a comprehensive scientific audit of Everest’s waste has not yet been conducted, experts estimate the accumulation — including human excrement and discarded oxygen bottles that do not decompose at high altitudes — contributes to one of the world’s most pressing high‑altitude environmental problems.
Challenges Ahead
Even with the new fee and action plan, major challenges remain:
- Enforcement at Extreme Altitudes: Harsh weather, limited oxygen and logistical hurdles continue to make monitoring waste disposal above Base Camp difficult.
- Increasing Climber Numbers: With around 400 climbers and hundreds of support staff attempting Everest each year, the pressure on the mountain’s fragile ecosystem is only growing.
- Cultural and Operational Change: Ensuring climbers, expedition companies and local operators comply with stricter rules will require sustained effort, education and buy‑in from the global mountaineering community.
Environmental advocates say that without meaningful enforcement, even better‑funded cleanup campaigns risk focusing on more accessible areas while leaving the most polluted zones untouched.
A New Chapter for Everest Conservation
Scrapping the refundable deposit — once seen as a pioneering environmental policy — marks a shift in Nepal’s approach to sustainable mountaineering. Rather than incentivising individual actions that had limited impact, the government is banking on a collective, funded and explicitly enforceable strategy to preserve Everest’s natural environment.
As the world watches how this new plan unfolds, the hope among conservationists and local leaders is that it will finally address the longstanding problem of waste on the world’s highest peak — and set an example for sustainable adventure tourism worldwide.
