XINING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The first environmental protection postal route along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway was launched Wednesday, according to the Qinghai provincial branch of the China Post Group Corporation.

In recent years, garbage pollution can even be found along the sparsely populated Qinghai-Tibet Highway. Therefore, Qinghai province has come up with a series of methods to strengthen the environmental protection along the highway.

Zhao Liping, deputy general manager of the Qinghai branch of the China Post Group Corporation, said the environmental protection post road started from the city of Golmud in Haixi Mongolian-Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, and passed through 23 mail transfer points, with a single journey of 470 km and an average elevation of 4,500 meters above the sea level.

"The post road with the longest distance and highest elevation in the world will not only provide regular mail services but also take on environmental protection tasks such as transfering rubbish and distributing environmental-friendly mail boxes," Zhao said.

The postmen will also take packages of fresh beef and mutton from local herdsmen for delivery.

Qinghai-Tibet Highway is one of the important passageways to Tibet. It starts from the city of Xining, capital of Qinghai Province, stretching nearly 2,000 km before reaching Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The highway runs through the Hoh Xil (Kekexili) National Nature Reserve, and Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve.