In 2019, 720kg of waste was generated per day in the Khumbu region during the trekking season. At present, most of this is left behind in pits that are dug throughout the valley and the Sagarmatha National Park, where it is then burnt. This is due to the lack of infrastructure in the high regions and the difficulty to transport it out of the valley.
Through the Carry Me Back Program, run by Sagarmatha Next, we are helping to combat this issue. This is a crowdsourced waste removal system which utilises the movement of tourists to transport waste from this area to places where it can be recycled.
For any clients travelling in Nepal who are willing, we organise for them to carry a bag containing 1kg of segregated and shredded waste material to a pick-up point. From here, this waste is collected and transferred to a recycling facility.
The pilot program for the project, which ran in August 2019, saw approximately 2,500 guides and trekkers transport an incredible 4,000kg of waste!
