Everest garbage given a new lease of life in Nepal

In homes across the Nepali capital upcycled items, from pots to lamps, crafted from Everest waste products are slowly making their way as authorities and businesses look for fresh ways to tackle the damage caused by decades of commercial mountaineering. Tonnes of trash litter the mountain, which has been dubbed the "highest dumpster in the world". After heavy criticism, Nepal's government and mountaineering groups this year organised a six-week clean-up. Scaling almost 8,000 metres from base camp to the closest camp to the summit, a 14-strong team retrieved more than 10 tonnes of trash that was flown or driven to recycling centres in Kathmandu. Workers there manually sorted the materials -- each type following a different path to rebirth: Iron was sent to rod manufacturing firms, shredded aluminium cans to utensil makers, and discarded bottles re-fashioned into household items.