Nepal has decided to set an example for the world.
The country has announced plans to convert tons of trash collected from Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain, into a piece of art. It will be put on display in a gallery and will educate the world on the need to save Everest from becoming a dumping site.
Huge mess
Recently, Nepal formed a team of people and collected tons of garbage from the mountain. It was mostly a mix of torn tents, plastic bottles, oxygen bottles, ladders, cans and wrappers. Mountain climbers and trekkers leave a huge mess at the top and the adjoining regions.
Tommy Gustafsson, project director and a co-founder of the Sagarmatha Next Centre, a visitors’ information center and waste up-cycling facility, said foreign and local artists will be engaged in creating artwork from waste materials and train locals to turn trash into treasures.
“We want to showcase how you can transform solid waste to precious pieces of art and generate employment and income,” Mr. Gustafsson said. “We hope to change the people’s perceptions about the garbage and manage it.”
The Centre is located at an altitude of 3,780 meters at Syangboche on the main trail to Everest base camp, two days’ walk from Lukla, the gateway to the mountain. It is due for “soft opening” to locals in August as the number of visitors could be limited this year due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions, Mr. Gustafsson said.
Products and artwork will be displayed to raise environmental awareness, or sold as souvenirs with the proceeds going to conservation of the region, he said.
