Waste management and circular economy development agency

The Waste Management and Circular Economy Development Agency under the Ministry of Ecology organized a media tour to the Verif enterprise, located on Jarkurgan Street in the Yashnabad district of Tashkent. The event was dedicated to the World Recycling Day, celebrated annually on November 15.

In the field of waste management, it is essential not only to reduce the volume of waste but also to increase the share of recycling through household waste sorting and the expansion of circular economy practices.

During the media tour, participants became familiar with all stages of plastic bottle recycling — from their collection from the population to their transformation into ready-made secondary products.

Plastic bottles are typically made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate). According to studies, exposure to sunlight and high temperatures can cause harmful chemicals, such as antimony, to leach from PET containers into water. Other types of plastic, such as polycarbonate, may contain BPA (bisphenol A). Even small amounts of these substances may pose health risks, especially for children and women.

Plastic waste takes 450–500 years to decompose in nature, causing significant harm to ecosystems. Meanwhile, recycled plastic can be used to produce new bottles, household items, pipes, PET tape, and synthetic fiber. Therefore, it is important to reduce plastic use, switch to environmentally friendly alternatives, or hand over used plastic for recycling instead of leaving it in the environment.

Reference: In Uzbekistan, plastic waste accounts for 15% of municipal solid waste. On average, the country generates 1.8 million tons of plastic waste annually. Currently, 116 recycling enterprises process about 130,000 tons of plastic per year — only 6.6% of the total volume. The rest ends up in landfills or illegal dumpsites.

To achieve significant progress in this direction, a draft resolution has been prepared to approve the “National Program for Reducing Plastic Pollution for 2026–2030”, and systematic work is underway.

In particular, for organizing separate waste collection into three categories (“recyclable,” “non-recyclable,” and “organic”), 180 collection sites have been set up in multi-story residential areas, where 106 containers have been installed. Sanitation services have also established on-site purchasing of recyclable materials.

Additionally, following the President’s instructions and to achieve the “Zero Waste” target by 2030, waste sorting facilities and eco-industrial zones are being created at municipal landfill sites to enable on-site waste processing.

Furthermore, $933 million in foreign investment is being attracted in six regions of the country for the construction of waste-to-energy plants. These facilities are scheduled to be launched in 2027. In the future, they will be able to process up to 10,000 tons of waste per day and generate 1.564 billion kWh of electricity annually, creating 950–1,000 new jobs.

As an example, the Verif enterprise began operations in 2012 and specializes in plastic waste recycling. The total cost of the project is $8 million. The plant’s capacity allows it to process 26,500 tons of plastic bottles per year. Its main products include PET tape, plastic pellets, and 15 types of synthetic fibers (including standard fiber, hollow fiber, and other varieties differing in type and density).

The finished products are supplied to the domestic market and exported to Russia, Belarus, and European countries. The enterprise employs around 350 staff, who are provided with three hot meals a day and protective workwear. In the future, the plant plans to increase its processing capacity to 50,000 tons per year, expand export volumes, and increase the number of jobs to 500.

It should be noted that the development and expansion of such recycling enterprises play an important role in ensuring Uzbekistan’s environmental sustainability and creating a clean and healthy environment for future generations in line with the principles of a “green economy.”