What’s Really Happening With Waste Processing in Kazakhstan
Official statistics suggest that Kazakhstan is making steady progress in recycling solid municipal waste (SMW), but a closer look reveals a significant technological shortfall. According to an analysis by Energyprom.kz, behind the rising recycling percentages lies a troubling gap between reported sorting and actual reuse. As of December 2025, the share of municipal waste reportedly recycled or reused had reached 28.6%, up from 25.9% at the end of 2024. On paper, this suggests progress toward the Ministry of Ecology’s target of 40% by 2040. However, the real picture is more complex. Only 1.1% of all municipal waste actually results in the production of secondary raw materials. Analysts emphasize the wide gap between the amount sorted and the amount truly recycled. According to Kazakhstan’s National Statistics Bureau, the country generates between 4.2 million and 4.8 million tons of municipal solid waste annually. In 2024, the figure hit a peak of 4.8 million tons. Of that, about 1.3 million tons were sorted and recorded as recycled or reused, more than one-quarter of the total. But crucially, this refers only to the volume that passed through sorting facilities. Much of the remaining 4.5 million tons was ultimately sent to landfill, including a significant share of the sorted waste. In 2024, 37.1% of sorted municipal waste, about 490,400 tons, was still landfilled. In other words, more than a third of the “recycled” waste never became usable raw material. In some regions, the situation is even more stark. At certain waste processing plants, including in Almaty, up to 85% of sorted waste ends up in landfill due to outdated technologies and limited processing capacity. Without substantial upgrades to equipment and processes, this is unlikely to change. That said, there has been measurable improvement. In 2023, 65.9% of sorted waste was landfilled, compared to 37.1% in 2024. Meanwhile, the volume of waste actually sent for recycling rose from 358,900 tons to 588,200 tons. Even so, only 49,200 tons of waste were ultimately processed into secondary raw materials, just 8.4% of the sorted waste and a mere 1.1% of Kazakhstan’s total municipal waste. For comparison, the figure was just 0.7% the previous year. More than 40% of waste processed at SMW facilities in 2024 consisted of plastic and paper, with plastic being the most straightforward to recycle. That year, 112,400 tons of plastic were recycled, an 8.5% increase over 2023. Waste paper collection reached 124,400 tons. Other materials processed include glass, metals, and used tires. Tire recycling has grown particularly quickly, with volumes increasing nearly twentyfold year-on-year. Despite this modest progress, Kazakhstan’s waste accumulation problem remains severe. The country has already amassed 48.3 million tons of solid waste. Of the approximately 3,000 landfills currently in operation, only 20.6% meet national standards. The best-performing regions include Zhambyl and Ulytau, as well as the cities of Astana and Shymkent. The worst conditions are found in North Kazakhstan, Turkestan, and Abai regions, where fewer than 3% of landfills comply with regulations. In 7 of Kazakhstan’s 20 largest cities, landfill capacity...
