At a government meeting, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Erlan Nysanbayev unveiled Kazakhstan's bold initiative to tackle its solid household waste problem, 24.kz reports. The plan includes the construction of 37 new waste processing plants and the modernization of eight existing facilities.
Investments and Private Involvement
This endeavour comes with a hefty price tag, with a total investment of approximately KZT 171.6bn, equivalent to roughly $378.5mn. This investment will be partly bolstered by private funds, amounting to KZT 34.3bn, or about $75.7mn. The aim is to increase the annual volume of waste processing to an impressive 1.5mn tons.
Furthermore, Kazakhstan intends to enhance its sorting capabilities by modernizing two existing sorting lines and constructing 19 new ones. This expansion, costing more than KZT 49.2bn ($108.6mn), will see private investment of around KZT 10bn (about $22mn). These efforts will elevate the capacity of sorting lines from the current 1.7mn tons to a staggering 4.7mn tons, covering all major cities in the country.
Support from the Industrial Development Fund
To facilitate these projects, the Industrial Development Fund will extend loans to entrepreneurs at an attractive 3% interest rate per annum for a duration ranging from 3 to 15 years. A substantial sum of about KZT 200bn ($441.2mn) will be allocated over three years.
Minister Nysanbaev highlighted the appeal of these loan terms, noting significant interest from domestic investors. He emphasized that all investors involved will be from Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan faces significant waste management challenges, with a substantial portion of generated waste remaining unsorted and ending up in landfills. In 2023 alone, the country produced approximately 4.1mn tons of municipal waste, of which only 24% was sorted and processed.
Focus on Recycling and Product Manufacturing
A key focus of the initiative is to harness the value within municipal waste, which contains valuable components such as plastic, paper, glass, and organic materials. Minister Nysanbaev stressed that current recycling capacities for major waste types remain inadequate.
Upon completion of these projects, Kazakhstan aims to produce various products from recycled materials, including pavement tiles, manhole covers, waste containers, glass packaging, stretch film, and car bumpers.
Earlier, it was reported that an agreement was forged between an American company, SAYAR, and the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan to foster comprehensive cooperation in the realm of medical waste recycling
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