Trash And Refuse Continues To Build Up Near Everest Base Camp

GORAKSEHP, NEPAL - OCTOBER 12: Abandoned plastic waste, including bottles and containers, as seen in a makeshift landfill on the outskirts of town with mountain range in the background on October 12, 2024 in Gorakshep, Sagarmatha Region, Nepal. The growing popularity of trekking in Nepal has resulted in various forms of pollution spoiling the fragile ecosystem. Gorakshep is the last human settlement on the Nepal side before trekkers arrive at Everest Base Camp just 3.5km away. Here, waste management issues due to trekking tourism are apparent with plastic bottles and debris from lodges and restaurants dumped just meters from the town centre. Early in the autumn trekking season, Everest Base Camp itself also shows signs of waste mismanagement. (Photo by Mailee Osten-Tan/Getty Images)