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.
Tourism ministry and mountaineering department officials told the BBC most of the deposit money had been refunded over the years - which should mean most climbers brought back their trash.
But the scheme is said to have failed because the rubbish climbers have brought back is usually from lower camps - not the higher camps where the garbage problem is worst.
From higher camps, people tend to bring back oxygen bottles only, said Tshering Sherpa, chief executive officer of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, which runs an Everest checkpoint.
Mr. Sherpa stated that on average a climber produces up to 12kg (26lbs) of waste while on the mountain. Apart from the "flawed rule" that required climbers to bring back less than they produce, authorities cited lack of monitoring as a significant challenge.
Nepalese authorities have expressed hope for a new initiative, which would implement a non-refundable clean-up fee to cover the costs of monitoring and management on the mountain.
This fee will contribute to a five-year mountain clean-up action plan, aimed at tackling the pressing waste issue, further emphasizing the importance of sustainable mountaineering practices.
