As thousands of people reach their goal of climbing Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, one cost to the environment is the human waste they leave behind. That's why an environmental group has been asking the government of Nepal to install portable toilets, reports the Himalayan Times.

The Eco Himal group says having functional and secure toilets in the area will be beneficial to the mountain environment. The group suggests placing the toilets at the South Base Camp in Nepal, which is 5,300 meters above sea level and considered the starting point of the climbers' expedition. It will help the thousands of mountain trekkers and their porters in keeping the mountain clean. The group is also recommending toilets at other well-known peaks in the Himalayas, particularly Pumori., Ama Dablam and Island Peak.

"Human waste is a problem, of course," said Phinjo Sherpa, the organization's director. "I am merely suggesting that if we have public toilets they can be used."

He added that many groups that come to Everest bring expedition toilet cans, but their porters often rely on the "nearest snowdrift" as their toilet.

Environmental activists report that the otherwise pristine slopes of Mount Everest are also littered with rubbish from previous expeditions. These include human waste, even dead bodies of mountaineers. According to the environmentalists, these debris can take decades to decompose because of the extremely cold climate.

Installing the public toilets will be discussed as part of a waste management plan being organized by the Nepalese government, said Phinjo Sherpa. This plan would "encompass popular peaks throughout the Everest region," he added.

"If there could be two or three toilets that would be good but this is just at the planning phase. We will have to decide what is a good idea and what isn't," he said.

Thousands of dollars are spent by climbers to reach the 8,848-meter (29,028-foot) summit of Mount Everest, which is also called Chomolungma or Sagarmatha.

Unfortunately, little attention is given to the garbage these climbing enthusiasts leave on their tracks. There has been no figure reflecting the total amount of rubbish left on the mountain, but the 50 years of climbing history has given Mount Everest the tag line of the "the world's highest dumpster," continues the Himalayan Times.

The Eco Everest Expedition, a privately funded, Nepal-based group of environmentalists, has been campaigning to keep Mount Everest clean. Since 2008, the coalition has collected more than 13 tons of garbage, 400 kilograms of human waste, and four bodies.

Other environmental groups, such as the Everest Summiteers Association oppose Eco Himal's proposal. Last May, the ESA's Saving Mount Everest project gathered 8.1 tons of garbage from the mountain and its trekking trails, reports the cnngo.com.

It has also been reported that around 2,000 metric tons of waste have been left in the mountain peaks since 1953. This includes about 50 tons from the Everest region.