A campaign to clean up Mount Qomolangma, also known as Mount Everest, started over the weekend and was scheduled to last until around World Environmental Day in early June.

Volunteers will collect rubbish left on the mountain by visitors from all over the world.

The clean-up operation will only take place on the Chinese side of the mountain - it also borders Nepal - and will concentrate on removing litter at lower levels left by sightseers.

This year's campaign followed one last September, which involved more than 90 volunteers from all over the country, together with more than 50 local ethnic Tibetans.

The clean-up campaigns, sponsored by world-renowned companies, including computer-maker HP, will take place annually until 2008.

Statistics indicate that 615 tons of waste was dumped on the peak between 1921 and 1999.

At the launch ceremony for this year's campaign, Redi, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of National People's Congress, urged increased activity to improve environmental awareness and reduce pollution on the mountain.

Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have found more and more poisonous elements on the mountain.

The campaign's organizing committee, from the Sports Bureau of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Beijing-based consulting company Alwaysone, said the team will donate 10,000 rubbish bags for the clean-up.

(China Daily April 25, 2005)