Drones tackle Everest’s trash crisis, hauling gear up and garbage down

It's often called the “world’s highest garbage dump.”

Some estimate 50 metric tons of trash remain on Mount Everest due to decades of climbing and lax regulations.

But these unmanned aerial vehicles are being utilized to try to clean up one of the world's most remote locations.

Nepal-based Airlift Technology is addressing this crisis by deploying drones to deliver supplies up the mountain and then remove waste on the way down.

After successful trials in 2024, the company estimates it removed over one metric ton of trash between March and May 2025.

"The main intention, of course, was like bringing the garbage because tons and tons of garbage are on Mount Everest, which means, like, this was our main motive to have a drone delivery in Mount Everest," Milan Pandey, Airlift Technology co-founder, said.

The drones, made by a Chinese manufacturer, are capable of quickly transporting up to 33 pounds of critical supplies, including oxygen bottles, ladders, and ropes.

''Because the interesting thing is, from Base Camp to Camp One, it takes 7 to 9 hours for climbers to reach. And our drone can reach over there within 3 minutes."

That helps sherpas climb difficult sections of the mountain, such as the Khumbu Icefall, a perilous passage riddled with crevasses and icefall, without carrying large amounts of equipment.

It's a welcome innovation for Nepalese mountaineer Nima Rinji Sherpa.

''I think this is very interesting and very good in a way, because it is humanly impossible to bring all the trash down by cutting through the Khumbu Icefall to the South Col. So I think, yes, right now we're using these drones by Airlift Technology, which is very innovative in a way that it also saves people's lives and it makes it easier for everyone to bring down the trash,'' he said. 

While other Everest cleanup operations are ongoing, Airlift Technology hopes drones will provide a new tool in efforts to tackle the mountain's trash scourge. — Reuters