The Project
Follow our journey and impact since 2019, as we have removed over 20 tonnes of waste successfully removed from Sagarmatha National Park for recycling!
Spring 2024
Supported by the Bally Peak Outlook Foundation, we launched a two-week pilot in Pangboche (3,985 m.) to establish a second pick-up station, extending our program to higher altitudes.
​This season saw 4,361 participants, resulting in the removal of 5,996 kg of waste, beating a new record!
4,361
participants
5,996
kg of waste removed
Autumn 2023
Kiehl's came on board as a sponsor for the next six seasons, marking an exciting new chapter for Carry Me Back. To complement this, we launched our vibrant new orange bag.
Participation surged significantly, with 3,510 trekkers helping to remove a total of 4,290 kg of waste from the Khumbu region.
3,510
participants
4,290
kg of waste removed
Spring 2023
This season, Bally Peak Outlook Foundation joined Carry Me Back as a sponsor for the upcoming seasons.
We engaged 1,565 trekkers, and waste removal reached its second-highest record to date, with a total of 3,225 kg of waste removed from Sagarmatha National Park.
1,565
participants
3,225
kg of waste removed
Autumn 2022
In the fall of 2022, we reached new heights! A new pick-up station was set up in Gokyo Village, and this time, helicopters transported the waste to Lukla, expanding our program's reach to over 5,000 meters. Meanwhile, our regular station in Namche Bazaar continued operations.
This season we successfully removed 1,575 kg of plastic and aluminium waste and involved around 1,025 participants, thanks to the ongoing support of our sponsor, Dell Reconnect.
1,025
participants
1,575
kg of waste removed
Spring 2022
Following the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021, the carry me back program is revived as tourism slowly picks up. The Spring 2022 session, supported by Dell Reconnect, run for six weeks.
We set up a pick up station in Namche Bazaar and two drops off stations in Lukla (Lukla Gate and Lukla Airport).
A total of 1,310 kg of waste were removed by a small cohort of 755 trekkers.
755
participants
1,310
kg of waste removed
The Pilot - Autumn 2019
The pilot led to the participation of 2,500 trekkers, who transported around 4,000 kg of waste for recycling
The pilot project took place during the trekking season in Autumn 2019. We set up a pick-up station at the Stupa in Namche Bazaar, where anyone interested in participating could collect a bag on their way back to Kathmandu and drop it off at the dedicated bins placed at Lukla Airport.
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Both trekkers and locals were excited to learn more about carry me back and the work we do. Approximately 2,500 trekkers participated in the pilot, with many choosing to carry more than one bag. As a result, we distributed a total of 5,400 bags, each containing either 0.5 kg or 1 kg of waste. In total, 4,000 kg of waste was transported to Kathmandu through the Carry Me Back initiative. The majority of the bags contained shredded plastic, while 200 bags were filled with shredded aluminium, as we wanted to test different types of waste materials.
After the success of this pilot, we look forward to continuing the carry me back program in future trekking seasons in the Khumbu region, with plans to replicate the model across other mountainous areas of Nepal.
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2,500
participants
5,400
CMB bags
