A scheme to encourage climbers to bring their waste down from Mount Everest is being scrapped - with Nepalese authorities telling the BBC it has been a failure.
Climbers had been required to pay a deposit of $4,000 (£2964), which they would only get back if they brought at least 8kg (18lbs) of waste back down with them.
It was hoped it would begin to tackle the rubbish problem on the world's highest peak, which is estimated to be covered in some 50 tonnes of waste.
But after 11 years - and with the rubbish still piling up - the scheme is being shelved because it failed to show a tangible result.
Himal Gautam, director at the tourism department, told the BBC that not only had the garbage issue not gone away, but the deposit scheme itself had become an administrative burden.
Although most deposit money has been refunded over the years, it was noted that the waste often brought back are from lower camps, while higher camps remain severely affected.
Moving forward, a non-refundable clean-up fee is proposed to be deployed, which will help fund necessary monitoring and clean-up activities on the mountain, addressing a significant and growing waste management concern amid rising climber numbers.
