Toilets

Another huge problem in Tengboche is the ground contamination through mass use of toilet tents in a small, populated area. To make matters worse the peak season is in the winter months. When the ground is hard, holes are neither dug very deep nor are they absorbent. Also the holes are usually not covered properly afterwards. In high winds or when helicopters land dirt, dust and faeces is blown everywhere and constitutes a major health hazard.

Even when public toilets are provided many visitors refuse to us them, preferring the privacy of their toilet tent. In addition, because of freezing temperatures in the winter the public toilets do not compost until summer and so become full and dirty. Trekking group kitchens often use the toilets as dumping places for cans, water bottles and old boxes and other non-biodegradable waste. This adds to the problem because it stops the toilets from composting properly.

Finding a solution to the sanitation problems facing Tengboche remains an issue. In cold weather conditions traditional leaf composting toilets do not function as well as they do lower down in the villages. Attempts at assisting this process by using solar panels have not been successful. The heat created in a confined space makes them extremely smelly and unpleasant to use.

Under the Tengboche Development Project an additional 10 pit latrines have been built. It is hoped that this will be adequate to provide enough facilities so that the use of the toilets can be rotated and there is enough time for them to compost naturally. All groups are requested to use public facilities and toilet tents are banned. It is hoped that puplic awarness will discourage the practice of dumping rubbish in the toilets.

Rubbish

Trekkers bring with them an enormous amount of solid waste, which is discarded all along the way. Every item of modern convenience is wrapped in plastic, which doesn't degrade but will remain a problem for generations. Plastic mineral water bottles and glass bottles are problematic as they are very bulky and fill the pits quickly. When the rubbish is blown around by the high winds it is a hazard to live stock. Tin cans and batteries are particularly toxic and difficult to dispose of. An incinerator is provided in Tengboche and staff employed to clean the area daily. The Eco Center supports these activities.