Himalayan cleanup teams risk lives to tackle growing trash problem

KATHMANDU -- A major Himalayan cleanup effort culminated this past week with teams of volunteers turning in dozens of tonnes of waste for recycling and processing, highlighting the urgent need to reduce pollution on some of the world's highest mountains.

Every year, hundreds of climbers, sherpas and high-altitude porters scale Mount Everest, leaving behind a trail of both biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. The problem has become so acute that the iconic mountain has been dubbed "the world's highest garbage dump." Similar issues plague other peaks, and experts warn that such pollution can have far-reaching downstream consequences.