Kyrgyzstan Launches Construction of Major Recycling Hub

Kyrgyzstan is constructing an advanced municipal solid waste recycling plant in its capital city, Bishkek, The Caspian Post reports citing foreign media.

The new recycling plant will process 1 000 tonnes of material per day when it opens in December 2025. There are plans to expand daily capacity to 3 000 tonnes in the second phase of the project.

Major investment

Investors are putting EUR 90.5 million towards the recycling plant. A team of 180 engineers and workers is involved in the construction. Once operational, the site will create hundreds of jobs.

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision, recyclers collected 1.8 million tonnes of solid waste nationwide in 2023. This is up from 1.1 million tonnes in 2019. The volume represents around 280kg of waste per person annually.

Meanwhile, Bishkek’s main landfill currently receives around 200 tonnes of waste a day. Government officials observe that the volume of waste being generated is quickly growing, making recycling more of a priority.

Recycling fee

Kyrgyzstan is currently home to 7.1 million people. In recent years, the nation has been taking steps to advance its recycling sector. This includes issuing a recycling fee on certain products and materials this summer. The fee, which came into force in August, covers:

- lubricating oils

- storage batteries

- lead batteries

- batteries for electric vehicles

-tyres

-electronic and electrical equipment, household appliances

- filters for internal combustion engines

- goods and packaging of goods made of combined materials

- cardboard

- rubber

- plastic

- polymers

Export ban

The government has also extended a temporary export ban on certain types of scrap, notably ferrous metals. These are classified under the Eurasian Economic Union customs’ code 7204. The measure came into force on 26 August for six months. The government established a similar measure in February.

The ban applies to all exports from Kyrgyzstan, including to the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union.