Dive Brief:

• The tourism authority in Nepal announced that climbers attempting to reach the peak of Mt. Everest must return from their journey with an additional 18 pounds of trash. Upon their return to base camp, climbers who do not abide by the rule will face stiff penalties and legal action.
• This is the government's first effort to reduce the approximately 50 tons of waste that has been discarded on the infamous mountain during the past sixty years. Due to extreme temperatures, waste will not degrade.
• The government is expecting to collect eight tons of waste in 2014 as a result of this rule. Waste is a growing issue for mountaineering associations and climbers concerned with the expanding waste left behind.

Dive Insight:

The New York Times article states that discarded items "include empty oxygen bottles, torn tents, discarded food containers and the bodies of climbers who died on the mountain."