Just like in many parts of the world, pollution has started to become a serious issue on Mount Everest. Every year, adventurous climbers flock to Everest, but unfortunately, the mountain’s slopes are increasingly marred by the trash left behind. Now, it’s been reported that the Chinese drone manufacturer DJI has developed high-altitude, heavy-lift drones specifically to tackle the trash problem on Everest. Here are the details…

DJI to Introduce Heavy-Lift Drone Model for Mount Everest Trash

Mount Everest, which hosts thousands of climbers every year, accumulates around 50 tons of trash annually on its slopes. Despite numerous attempts to solve this issue, none have been successful. The trash has reached such a scale that people have started calling Everest “the world’s highest garbage dump.” Although Nepal has asked climbers to collect 18 pounds (approximately 8 kilograms) of trash each trip or pay hundreds of dollars in fees, this approach doesn’t seem to have worked.

This growing trash problem has severely impacted the Sherpa people, who live in the mountainous regions of the Himalayas. Despite assisting climbers by guiding them and cleaning up the trash they leave behind, the Sherpa community has expressed that their efforts are no longer sufficient.

According to Nepal’s plans, heavy-lift drones will be used to address the trash on the mountain, and DJI, which participated in the SDN Summit event, seems to be the chosen company for this task. DJI’s existing expertise in developing such drones and its popularity make this possibility even stronger.

The company sent its first drone model to Everest for testing in April, and a single drone was capable of carrying 500 pounds (approximately 225 kilograms) of trash between two locations in one hour. What do you think about this issue? How serious do you believe the global trash problem will become? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.