Covered In Waste, Excrement: How Mount Everest Is Turning Into World's Top 'Garbage Dump'
Mount Everest, Nepal: Hill tops are usually clean, with restrictions against dumping garbage and waste on the top, but the case at the top of the world, Mount Everest, is quite the opposite. The world’s highest mountain peak is increasingly polluted due to tourist overflow and overcrowding, with no rules or restrictions being followed.
A recent video from Mount Everest showed the Himalayan tourist destination covered in waste, purportedly including 12,000 kilos (26,500 lbs) of human excrement, suggesting the worst and unhealthy scenario.
Mount Everest covered in waste, including 12,000 kilos (26,500 lbs) of human excrement 🤬 pic.twitter.com/nTEJoEA1p4
— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) July 26, 2025
Read Also: Indian Climber, 45, Dies Near Everest Summit; Second Fatality This Week
Besides the traffic jam in Yellow Band, which has created headlines in recent years, the garbage, including human faeces, has flagged serious concerns about the situation at the top, contaminating the atmosphere and local watershed and threatening the health of the people.
Standing at 8,849 meters (29,032 feet), as part of the Himalaya, Everest is the highest mountain above sea level in the world, spanning 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles) and bordering Nepal and China. In 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay created history by reaching the peak, conquering the death-defying feat of endurance.
Read Also: Dadar Everest: Users Compare Traffic Jam On Mount Everest To India’s Busiest Railway Station
Since then, thousands have braved to conquer the top of the world, which now stands as one of the most congested routes due to the heavy overcrowding and rush. The very rush has made the hilltop one of the world’s largest garbage dumb.
Despite the dangerous and increasing fatality rate, people from across the world are increasingly daring to climb the mountain. Everest remains a major draw for mountaineers from around the globe. In 2025 alone, over 450 climbers have been granted permits to attempt the ascent, and more than 50 have already reached the summit successfully.
