Sagarmatha Next - from Mountain Waste to Art and Design
Waste to Art is the way for us to showcase that something beautiful is hidden inside the material we throw away. Through this visual representation, we wish to change the perception around waste.
"By attracting artists and allowing them to experiment with these unusual materials, we wish to inspire locals and visitors to be more conscious of the environmental impact their actions might have."
Located a few hundred meters above Namche, where we will take our first rest day to acclimatise to the height, Sagarmatha Next Center is a unique place at 3,775 m where you can meet mountaineers, trekkers, artists, nature lovers, and environmentalists from around the world.
Here, options are limitless. From digital exhibits to upcycled sculptures, workshops where you can experiment with waste to attending conferences on climate change, we bring you a space where you can learn, explore and grow. Interact with locals, learn about their cultures, explore their landscape and become part of the solution to the environmental challenges facing this region.
Sagarmatha Next works to change the perception around waste and provide support to the local stakeholders of the region, by bringing innovative and sustainable solutions for solid waste management.
CARRY ME BACK is one of their initiatives, "a crowdsourced waste removal system designed to send waste to its rightful place where it can be recycled, by utilising the movement of locals and tourists."
Segregated and shredded (to reduce its volume) by the local NGO Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, the waste is packed into a 1 kg carry me back bag, designed by a local social impact design studio and made by women trained in reusing waste materials.
Trekkers returning back from the higher valley can carry back a bag each to Lukla, where planes with free capacity transfer them to Kathmandu for professional recycling.
This is perfect example of circular economy covering 5000 meters altitude, to safeguard and protect the beauty and health of this globally unique fragile ecosystem.
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