Even the highest mountain in the world can’t escape the litter and trash of humans.
Two years ago, in five days, four tons of trash were cleaned up from Mount Everest. Hikers and campers bring trash with them to the mountain and unfortunately, leave it there. Tin cans, plastic bags, discarded tents, and more have been found on the mountain. Just a few months ago, in May, volunteers cleaned up more than 6,613 pounds of trash (empty cans, bottles, plastic, and discarded climbing gear) from the mountain.
Plastic is already harming the oceans, marine life, land animals, and humans. It can’t reach the skies — that’s why Nepal is taking action to limit the amount of trash left on Mount Everest!
According to CNN, Nepal is banning “plastic soft drink bottles and single-use plastics under 30 microns thick (0.0012 inches, or 0.03 millimeter) in the Khumbu region.” Hikers will not be able to bring these type of plastic products with them and shops in the region will not be able to sell them. The ban takes effect in January of 2020.
Although the ban is an effort to reduce the amount of trash left on the mountain by its more than 150,000 annual visitors, it doesn’t include plastic water bottles, but chief administrative officer of Khumbu Pasang Lhamu rural municipality, Ganesh Ghimire told CNN: “We are consulting with all sides about what can be done about plastic water bottles. We will soon find a solution for that.”
We hope the ban has a positive effect on the mountain and that a ban on plastic water bottles with an alternative solution quickly follows.
https://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/nepal-ban-single-use-plastic-mount-everest/
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