ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Ten people have successfully scaled Mount Everest to carry out what might be the toughest cleaning job in the world.

Five members of the Nepalese army and five sherpas have made the climb as part of a campaign to rid four Himalayan peaks of rubbish. There is an estimated 14,000 tons of refuse and more than 300 dead bodies on Mount Everest alone.

Under the Clean Mountain Campaign 2023 the Nepal Army aims to collect at least 35,000 kilograms of decomposable and non-decomposable waste from Mount Everest, Lhotse, Barunche, and Annapurna.

The recyclable waste will be brought to Kathmandu for recycling while the decomposable waste will be managed in collaboration with local governments.

The Nepal Army has been conducting the Clean Mountain campaign since 2019 in a bid to clean the mountains while also spreading awareness about the adverse effects of climate change and human-induced waste in the Himalayas. Nearly 34 tonnes of waste were collected from the four mountains during last year's campaign.

It is expected to help attract more tourists and mountaineers to the area while also preserving the mountains for future generations. The campaign is being conducted in coordination with various governmental and non-governmental organisations.

Unilever Nepal is partnering the Nepal Army for a third time this year. The company's managing director Amlan Mukherjee said: "Through this continued collaboration we aim to set new records in collection, segregation and recycling of accumulated waste in a bid to help Nepal sustain pride in its peaks."

The Clean Mountain Campaign 2023 began on March 28 and will end on June 6.