Kazakhstan has reached a significant milestone in waste management: according to the latest report from the Central Asian Project Office for Climate Change and Green Energy, the country successfully recycled or properly disposed of nearly one-third of the municipal solid waste generated in 2025. Based on data published on March 20, 2026, the fight against illegal dumpsites also achieved unprecedented efficiency over the past year, largely driven by the application of space monitoring technologies.
Quantitative Data: 5 Million Tons of Waste and Space Monitoring
The official report released by KazTAG (Kazakh Telegraph Agency) highlights that during 2025, exactly 30.69 percent of the municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in Kazakhstan was recycled and disposed of.
Another outstanding achievement of the waste management strategy is the elimination of illegal dumpsites. According to the project office’s briefing, 95 percent of the illegal dumps identified through space monitoring were successfully eliminated during the period under review.
Data from the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources further underscores the massive volume of the task. According to the ministry, approximately 5 million tons of municipal solid waste were generated in the country last year. (Editor’s Note: The original English-language news agency source literally mentions that “1,500 tons” were recycled out of the 5 million tons. However, this numerical figure mathematically contradicts the 30.69 percent recycling rate confirmed in both the title and the lead of the article, which is likely a typographical error by the news agency).
Regional Discrepancies in Recycling
The report also provides a detailed regional breakdown, revealing significant disparities in waste management efficiency across different areas of the country. The highest recycling and disposal rates were registered in the following regions and cities:
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Karaganda region: 61%
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Shymkent: 40.8%
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Mangystau: 40.6%
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Atyrau: 40%
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Pavlodar: 37%
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Kyzylorda: 33.6%
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Turkestan: 31%
Infrastructure development is also ongoing: out of the country’s 211 cities and districts, separate waste collection has been introduced at various levels in 123 municipalities, while actual waste sorting operations are currently functioning in 87 municipalities.
Stricter Regulations: The State of Landfills
The technical and environmental condition of solid waste landfills remains a serious challenge for the Central Asian nation. According to data from the Central Asian Project Office for Climate Change and Green Energy, a total of 2,755 solid waste landfills were operating in Kazakhstan at the end of 2025.
However, of these, only 540 landfills—representing just 19.6 percent of the total inventory—complied with current environmental and sanitary standards. The highest proportions of standard-compliant landfills were found in the following regions:
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Astana: 100%
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Shymkent: 100%
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Turkestan: 100%
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Zhambyl: 80.3%
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Zhetysu: 57.1%
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Kostanay: 55.8%
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Mangistau: 40%
Official Sources and References:
