A recent article in the Rising Nepal highlighted a concerted effort to spread the word on the rapid melting of the Khumbu Glaciers and plastic pollution, especially in Sagarmāthā National Park, home to Mount Everest.

"Climbers must be aware of the mountain's environmental significance," Nepali mountaineer Purnima Shrestha said. 

She's not alone in her appeals, with mountaineer Ikramul Hasan Shakil pointing out the volume of plastic pollution in the area and abroad. Fortunately, their voices are not going unheard, with the Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) stepping in to support the Plastics Circularity Project.

The growing "expedition culture" is not policing itself well enough, often leaving behind plastic, rope, tents, poles, oxygen canisters, and even fecal matter, some of which is transported into rivers via snowmelt and rain. 

According to NIMSDAI, the average climber leaves behind 18 pounds of waste. Discarded plastic does more than mar the natural landscape; it disrupts the ocean's ability to act as a carbon sink, contributes to urban heat island effects, and releases pollutants as it degrades. 

In terms of the mountain's environmental significance, Purnima was referring to more than just the surrounding nature. Sinking homes and fractured foundations are impacting the local village of Gorakshep. 

TCCF isn't pulling a one-and-done, either. This will mark the fifth year of the foundation's support and donations to the Mountain Cleanup Campaign, a related initiative. 

The Plastics Circularity Project is broader in scope, while the Mountain Cleanup Campaign is focused on the Himalayas. Together, these campaigns feed collected plastic and other materials into recycling programs.

TCCF is also investing in recycling infrastructure, various cleanup initiatives and partnerships, and manufacturing sustainable packaging. The effort is global in scale, with a strong focus on Asia and surrounding regions. 

These voices and initiatives will do much to reduce the amount of plastic and materials left behind, promoting a "circular economy." 

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UNDP resident representative, Kyoko Yokosuka, calls the Himalayas the "frontlines of climate change." 

Fortunately, these kinds of efforts protect local ecosystems in a variety of ways, indirectly boosting the prospects of villages like Gorakshep. 

TCCF is taking a huge step in the right direction, but Coca-Cola has a long way to go, as well as its competitors, to right the ship. 

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