Human Interest Mount Everest Climbers Will Have to Start Taking Their Poop with Them amid Waste Problem The human waste is "polluting the mountain environment," said Diwas Pokhrel, the first vice president of Everest Summiteers Association By Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. He began working with the brand as an Editorial Intern in early 2020, before later transitioning to a freelance role, and then staff positions soon after. Nicholas writes and edits anywhere between 7 to 9 stories per day on average for PEOPLE, spanning across each vertical the brand covers. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 31, 2024 08:00AM EDT Climbers trekking across Mount Everest. Photo: Getty Mount Everest climbers will now have to pick up their own poop amid their travels on the mountain. Nepal, the mountain’s home country, has mandated a new rule that climbers must bring their waste down with them from Earth's highest mountain above sea level in an effort to aid pollution issues. “The problem of human waste on Everest was very bad,” Diwas Pokhrel, the first vice president of Everest Summiteers Association, told CNN. “It was polluting the mountain environment.” A mountain cleanup campaign in 2023 collected more than 78,000 pounds of waste and plastics from Mount Everest, The Himalayan Times reported. A year prior, climbers generated a similar amount of human waste on the mountain, according to a report from Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Climbers trekking across Mount Everest. Getty Chicago Teen Makes History as Youngest American Woman to Reach the Top of Mt. Everest According to CNN, Mount Everest climbers will now be given two bags for their waste that must come back down with them. The biodegradable bags, the outlet said, contain a chemical that makes human waste fragrance-free. Jinesh Sindurakar of the Nepal Mountaineering Association told CNN that an estimated 1,200 people will be on Everest this season. “Each person produces 250 grams [8.8 ounces] of excrement a day, and they will spend two weeks on the higher camps for the summit push,” he explained, adding that Nepal’s Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality will issue thousands of waste bags. Climbers trekking across Mount Everest. Getty Sherpa Makes 'Almost Impossible' Rescue to Save Stranded Climber from Mount Everest’s 'Death Zone' Before climbing Everest, travelers must spend plenty of time preparing for the harsh conditions found at the mountain. They also must spend a large amount of money for the expedition. According to Outside, that includes a $11,000 requisite permit to climb the mountain.