​Tons of trash and frozen bodies on Mt Everest: Battle to clean world's tallest peak likelyto take years

Used oxygen cylinders and beer cans collected from Everest lie at a recycling facility in Kathmandu on June 24, 2024. Agencies like Agni Ventures play a crucial role in repurposing this waste, demonstrating the importance of recycling in the cleanup mission. (Image source: AP)

Shoes and other garbage collected from Everest are piled for sorting at a recycling facility in Kathmandu on June 24, 2024. The rigorous sorting process ensures that each type of waste is handled appropriately, crucial for effective recycling and disposal. (Image source: AP)

Workers segregate garbage collected from Everest at a recycling facility in Kathmandu on June 24, 2024. Despite harsh conditions, the dedicated cleanup teams make significant progress each season, moving Everest closer to regaining its natural beauty. (Image source: AP)

Sacks of garbage collected en route to Everest are piled for recycling at a facility in Kathmandu on June 24, 2024. This meticulous sorting process underscores the extensive cleanup efforts to restore Everest's pristine nature by managing waste from past expeditions. (Image source: AP)

Sushil Khadga of Agni Ventures checks a used oxygen cylinder collected from Everest before recycling in Kathmandu on June 24, 2024. This step exemplifies the careful inspection and processing required to manage the vast amounts of waste from the mountain. (Image source: AP)

A team member uses a spade to remove frozen trash en route to Everest on April 27, 2021. This daunting task shows the relentless efforts of Sherpas and soldiers who, despite facing extreme conditions, strive to clear Everest's slopes of debris and bodies. (Image source: AP)

The body of a climber, frozen for years, is finally removed from Everest on May 13, 2024. This haunting image illustrates the harsh reality of Everest, where thousands of climbers have scaled the peak, leaving behind not just their footprints, but tons of trash and numerous bodies. (Image credit: AP)

Recovered bodies of climbers are prepared for airlift from Everest base camp on May 29, 2024. This poignant image captures the sobering reality of Everest's dangers, as the cleanup team recovers the remains of climbers who perished in their quest to conquer the world's highest peak. (Image source: AP)

Ang Babu Sherpa, who led the cleanup team, speaks in Kathmandu on June 20, 2024. He discusses the significant challenges they faced, including low oxygen levels and unpredictable weather, making the high-altitude cleanup mission extremely demanding. (Image source: AP)

Garbage collected from Everest is piled before sorting at a recycling facility in Kathmandu on June 24, 2024. Despite significant progress, the cleanup mission continues, with ongoing efforts and increased awareness essential to preserving Everest's natural beauty for future generations. (Image source: AP)