Everest Requires $4,000 Trash Deposit

Mount Everest in the Himalayas has accumulated vast amounts of abandoned oxygen cylinders, tents, plastics, human waste, and climbing equipment. In 2019, the Everest Summiteers Association estimated that around 30 tons, or 60,000 pounds, of trash remained on the mountain. Nepal therefore required each climber to pay a $4,000 deposit, refundable only after bringing down at least 17.6 pounds of waste. Climbers who failed to meet the requirement lost the deposit, although guided expeditions costing up to $100,000 limited its power as a deterrent.

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