Report on EcoTech 2014 Conference Results

The Conference “Development of infrastructure for waste disposal in Kazakhstan” took place in Almaty on September 17

The conference “Development of Infrastructure for Waste Utilization in Kazakhstan” took place in Almaty on September 17, 2014 within the framework of the 10th Central Asian International Exhibition “Environmental Technologies, Waste Management & Recycling, Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Green Innovations” - EcoTech 2014.

The event organizer was the Kazakh exhibition company Iteca and its partner the international group of companies ITE Group Plc (Great Britain) with the support and participation of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the United Nations Development Programme, Akimat of the City of Almaty, the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan and JSC “Zhasyl Damu”. The Bronze Partner of the Exhibition and EcoTech Conference was the Kazakh enterprise LLP “Tengizchevroil”. Conference partners were: Samsung Electronics Central Eurasia, TOMRA Sorting GmbH, KOMEK Machinery Kazakhstan. Event Business Partners: Kazakhstan Business Council for Sustainable Development (KBCSD), Centre “Cooperation for Sustainable Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan” (CSD), Kazakhstan Association on Waste Management “KazWaste” and Centre for Sustainable Production and Consumption.

The following people took part in the conference: Beybut Shakhanov – Director of the Waste Product Division of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Erkebulan Orazalin – Deputy Director of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Department of the City of Almaty, Galina Artyukhina –Executive director of “KBCSD” Kazakhstan Business Council for Sustainable Development, Vera Mustafina – Director of the Center “CSD”, Saltanat Baeshova – the Leading Expert of the Project UNDP/Samsung Electronics Central Eurasia/ME RoK, and representatives of companies that represent technologies and equipment in the sector of waste management; industrial facilities; design organizations; scientific institutions; waste management service companies, SPA, leading international experts and others. The total amount of people taking part in the conference was 150.

At the conference were discussed problems relating to the implementation of a closed-loop economy in Kazakhstan (circular economy), including innovative approaches to production and consumption waste management – utilization of recycle products, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for waste recycling, problematic issues in the area of waste management, including household, industrial, medical and other types of waste. Some offers were formulated requiring an urgent decision at the government level.

On the behalf of event organizers, conference participants were welcomed by the plenary session moderator – Galina Artyukhina – the executive director of KBCSD. In her greeting, Ms. Artyukhina mentioned that “Today’s event is extremely important for the Republic of Kazakhstan in terms of these concepts and national tasks that are given to Kazakhstan in order to implement the strategy of becoming one of the thirty most developed countries in the world.”

Beybut Shakhanov – Director of the Waste Product Division of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in his opening address reminded conference participants that the Ministry of Energy currently combines several ministries, including the former Ministry of Environment and Water Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan and read off a greeting on the behalf of the Minster of Energy Mr. Shkolnik. The letter stated that after carrying out some great preparatory work, the ministry began developing “Its own integrated system of waste collection and utilization. There will be a system directed at reducing waste generation. For that purpose, there is an updating program for control systems of household solid wastes from 2014-2050. On the behalf of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, I hail the decision of exhibition organizers in regards to holding a forum on the relevant issue of developing an infrastructure for waste utilization.”

On behalf of the City of Almaty, which has been arranging the exhibition and “EcoTech” conference for 10 years, Erkebulan Orazalin, the Deputy Director of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Department of the City of Almaty appeared with an opening address. In an official part of his speech, Mr. Orazalin read off a greeting letter on the behalf of the Akim of the City of Almaty – Mr. Esimov and shortly informed about what is being done today by the Akimat of Almaty in terms of organizing a separate collection, as well as waste management in the City of Almaty. Concerning the matter of lost containers that are already installed in the City and separate waste collection, Mr. Orazalin pointed out that “Next year we are planning to put in a separate item of financing concerning work with the SPA in terms of agitation and informing the population about an available separate collection and how to treat household waste.” He called members of the SPA, those who were in the room, who were interested in this offer, to “Come to us, we will consider your suggestions and work out collaborative actions to solve this problem.” The second aspect, aside from working with the population, related to the operation of waste removal organizations. “First of all we are working on this issue with JSC “Tartyp” 33,4%, of the stock is held by the Akimat of the City, and the chairman of the board of whom is present today.” Mr. Orazalin also touched upon a question of constructing a waste recycling plant: “This project is in the active definition phase in collaboration with the EBRD and in the coming months the technical documentation for a potential investor will be worked out. A part of the project is considered to be implemented by means of bank credit resources, as well as with budget financing and probably with private company management outsourcing.”

As a good example of Kazakhstan’s major industrial facilities, when small and medium-sized business can develop waste recycling, is in a report by “LLP “Tengizchevroil”: Waste Management”, which was made by Arman Sadirbaev, the deputy of general manager of the Operation Excellence Department / Health, Safety and Environment of LLP “Tengizchevroil”. The scale of enterprise is described in the report in the following way: “Tengiz is located in the west of Kazakhstan far from residential areas. The area of the field territory is almost as big as an area of a small town. To move even within the territory of the plant KTL you need to have a vehicle. Over 4000 people work at the place of production on a daily basis. This full complex is provided with all the necessary conditions for life, rotational village with food and entertainment, there also some facilities for sports and offices. All community facilities are guaranteed for operating residential and industrial facilities are provided by LLP “Tengizchevroil”, for instance, waste utilization, power supply, natural gas for heating homes, water supply and medical treatment.”

As achievements of Tengizchevroil in the area of waste management, Mr. Sadirbaev pointed out the following facts: “As of today 40% of waste formed in Tengizchevroil are no longer buried in a landfill, but is reused and sent for recycling to specialized local contracting companies. Except for concrete and metal scrap, Tengizchevroil sends scrap tires, electronic and plastic waste, used batteries, used oils, soil polluted with oil products, cardboard waste for recycling and reutilization. Waste management activities are performed by means of internal and external resources. If, for instance, there is concrete waste recycling by means of shattering for further utilization as a construction material inside the company, then external resources are contracting companies from all over Kazakhstan that are able to render waste recycling services complying with the specification of the RoK and international standards.

Taking into account the limitations of waste recycling infrastructure and the recyclable materials market in Kazakhstan, Tengizchevroil keeps improving the process of waste management and holds to its strategy that is based on reducing, reusing and recycling waste to reduce the amount of buried waste.” In this regard the speaker chose the site TengizEcoCenter (TEC), organized by Tengizchevroil, “Which is located on the territory of Tengiz and occupies an area of 100 ha, which is equal to approximately the area of 143 football fields. TengizEcoCenter is a modern multifunctional facility and integrated complex that contains two landfills to bury household and industrial waste, waste disposal facilities, equipment for primary processing of concrete, plastic waste, sterilization of medical waste, which allows to centralize all operations concerning waste management. Landfills built on this facility are equipped with a double geomembrane cover, which corresponds to the highest quality standards applicable for waste removal. To increase the recycling capacity of household waste, in 2015 Tengizchevroil is planning to bring into operation a sorting line for separating reusable materials (paper, plastic, cardboard, metal scrap, waste wood, glass) at the TengizEcoCenter”.

In regards to one striking example of broken concrete reuse Tengizchevroil as a construction material “Uses in construction works of the Future Growth Project (FGP): only as of March to July of the current year within the framework of FGP works 16,400 tons of broken concrete was reused.” There were also many other interesting facts and figures in relation to implementing the Tengizchevroil strategy based on waste management using the best available technologies for waste recycling to minimize potential negative consequences of waste effect on the environment.

Considerable attention was also paid to the following reports, mentioned during the plenary session:

1. “International experience in the automatic sorting of mixed waste”, presented by Mr. Rathmann, representative of the company Tomra Sorting GmbH,
2. “Modern Methods for Waste Collection and Recycling”, presented by Mr. Weiser, Regional Sales Manager of the company SSI SCHÄFER in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan,
3. “Effective waste compaction and distribution in landfill sites using BOMAG refuse compactors” by Mr. Bacevičius, Regional sales manager of BOMAG GmbH (Komek Machinery Kazakhstan).

 
The second session presented results of the collaborative project of UNDP, Government of the RoK and the company “Samsung Electronics Central Eurasia” - “Electronic Waste Management” and practical experience of the public private partnership through the example of the companies “Samsung Electronics Central Eurasia”, “Alser” and “Sulpak” and the reports of Ms. Deepali Sinha, an international expert in the area of electronic waste management (over 10 years of experience in this sphere) in the company SOFIES SA “The international experience of electronic waste management in developing and developed countries”, Ms. Bondolfi, an international expert in the area of electronic waste management in the company SOFIES SA “The best available technologies in e-waste management”, Ms. Bayeshova, a leading expert of the project of UNDP/Samsung Electronics Central Eurasia/ME RoK “Joint Project of the Ministry of Energy, UNDP and Samsung Electronics Central Eurasia on electronic waste management”, Ms. Dushkina, a national expert of UNDP “Electronic waste in the Republic of Kazakhstan – current situation, issues, solutions”, Mr. Mukhin, Director of the company that deals with electronic waste recycling “Review of e-waste utilization in Kazakhstan”, Mr. Made, from Institute of Environmental Economics, Vienna with the reports: “Business-process of Extended Producer Responsibility principle” and “Economic benefits of EPR integration  in the sphere of e-waste”.

The audience also paid great attention to the reports about: “Implementation of the principles of circular economy in Kazakhstan” – the speaker Ms. Mustafina, Director of the Centre “Cooperation for Sustainable Development”, Executive Director of Kazakhstan Association on Waste Management “KazWaste”, and also reports about the public private partnership: Dr. Bradshaw, Professor (Assist.) for Environmental Engineering, Nazarbayev University and Mr. Birtanov, Chairman of the Board of Support Center for Public Private Partnership Projects LLC.

The same attention was paid to speeches of Russian speakers:

Ms. Goryakina leading specialist of the Environmental Consulting Centre of «InEcA-consulting», LLC, member of the Kemerovo regional non-governmental organization InEcA about: “Financial evaluation of the environmental commitments of industrial enterprises and the main directions of recycling”, and also Mr. Baskakov, Business Development Director, Energy Solutions at CJSC "Outotec St.Petersburg" Market Area CIS (Outotec) about: “Outotec sludge incineration plant- is an effective way of sludge utilization with power generation and phosphorus recovery, with trading greenhouse gas emissions and implementation as concession”.

The final session was begun with the report of Mr. Shakhanov, Director of the Waste Department of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It reflects the main problems of developing the SHW sector, projects in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme based on management of production and commercial operations in Kazakhstan and medical waste, import, export and transit of hazardous waste, expected results of activities of the Center JSC “Zhasyl Damu”, increase of SHW generation in the cities of Kazakhstan, an analysis of the acting legal basis in the area of waste management in the Republic of Kazakhstan, plans and results for 2015. As it was mentioned in the report “Operations on Solid Household Waste Management will be performed in accordance with the event plan of the modernization program of the solid household waste management system for 2014-2020.”

Ms. Orazalina, an expert in waste management, PhD in Technical Sciences of LLP CONSALT Ltd informed delegates with the current condition of the problem concerning management of production and consumption of waste in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Ms. Gor, Project Manager UNDP “Update of the National Execution Plan, Integration of Persistent Organic Pollutants Management in the Process of National Management and Efficient Use of Hospital Waste in Kazakhstan” – informed in detail about the situation concerning medical waste management in the RoK in general and with implemented project based on medical waste in collaboration with Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan/ GEF, whereat directed.

Ms. Beibitova A.D., Project Manager of the UNDP/GEF, “Develop and implement a comprehensive plan for the management of PCBs in Kazakhstan”- report on existing hazardous waste treatment technologies and requirements.

Ms. Ismagulova G.E., National Expert of ADB project (2013-2015), national expert of EBRD project (2014-2015), Ph.D. in Economics, Associated Professor of Economics informed audience with Global and National Practices of Organization of SHW Separate Collection and Recovery, which is a part of her future book on this topic.

Mr. Lapshin, Senior Environmental Expert, COWI Consulting LLP presented the Almaty city waste management programme through the example of the pilot project “Upgrading the system for solid waste management in the city of Almaty”.

In general the conference included further ways of cooperation of interested ministries and enterprises of small and medium-sized business to establish an environmentally and economically sound system of collecting, transporting, recycling and burying community and industrial waste in Kazakhstan.

Participants of the conference asked questions about topics they were interested in, voiced their proposals and exchanged opinions.

Participants of the conference also mentioned that in order to develop the market of production and consumption waste recycling in accordance with the best international approaches first of all it is necessary to improve the national legislation. In this regard, during the course of discussions participants of the conference made the following assumptions:

• To elaborate the law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Production and Consumption Waste”, or write additions to the Environmental Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan in terms of:
• Specifying terminology in the area of waste management;
• Adopting a waste classification system based on the system of its management, that is with consideration for both properties of waste and materials and methods of its collection, safe management, transporting, recycling and utilization;
• Improving the forms of departmental and statistical reporting on waste to monitor the process of its generation and ways of further recycling of utilization;
• A legal basis for regulating activities concerning waste management, including company licensing and compulsory marking of products subject to utilization;
• Implementing the system of extended producer responsibility, including foreign ones to reduce the percent of SHW waste burial in landfills and stimulate the waste recycle market. Establishing independent corporate funds (CF) to manage packaging waste and packed products.

2. To write additions to the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Public Procurement” in terms of motivating the purchase of works and services that correspond to the principles of “green economics”;

3. To write additions to the Land Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan in terms of introducing privileged free long-term usage of land plots by the companies that collect and recycle production and consumption waste (in particular, for installing containers for collecting waste subject to recycling).
And other suggestions that are presented in Resolution.

You can find the text of Resolution on the event website www.ecotech.kz.

On the behalf of event organizers we thank all participants for interesting and informative speeches and suggestions! We would like to thank one more time the Sponsors and Business Partners of the conference for their invaluable contribution to the project’s development and event support!

We are inviting everyone to attend EcoTech 2015, which will take place in Almaty on September 16-18!

Additional information about the event is available on the website: www.ecotech.kz

Date: November 3, 2014.

An official address on the behalf of the conference participants received a reply from the Vice-Minister of Energy of the RoK Т. Akhsambiev (№ 19-06/3т-Б-88//Б-757-3т dd. 27.10.2014), which states that suggestions are taken into consideration and will be considered within the process of further work on introducing amendments and additions to regulatory legal acts on managing production and consumption waste. At the present time the Minister is working on implementing the principle of extended producer responsibility (EPR) in order to cover a part of expenses for collecting and utilizing packaging waste, electronic and electric equipment, vehicles and their components and other goods after usage within the framework of the work on introducing amendments and additions to some legislative instruments of the Republic of Kazakhstan concerning a transition to “Green Economics”. It is also planned to include criteria that influence a relative lowering of prices: goods produced as a result of waste recycling or out of secondary raw materials with an attachment of supporting document (certification of conformity or declaration of conformity) to Paragraph 4 of Article 24 of the draft law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Public Procurement”.