Tokayev's Taza Kazakhstan cuts illegal dumps to 2,600, boosts waste recycling to 30.6%
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Kazakhstan reduced illegal waste dumps from 8,600 in 2018 to 2,600 in 2026 under President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's Taza Kazakhstan initiative. Municipal waste recycling reached 30.6 percent in 2025, up from 25.8 percent in 2024. The government approved 68 waste infrastructure projects worth 374 billion tenge, with 12 facilities already operational.
Key Facts
- Illegal waste dumps in Kazakhstan fell from about 8,600 in 2018 to 2,600 in 2026, a reduction of more than three times.
- Municipal waste recycling reached 1.5 million tonnes, or 30.6 percent, in 2025, up from 25.8 percent in 2024.
- The government approved 68 waste infrastructure projects worth 374 billion tenge, with 12 facilities already operational.
- The EcoQolday programme paid over 2.5 billion tenge to enterprises and citizens for recycling from 2024 to 2026.
- The volume of water in the North Aral Sea increased from 18.9 billion cubic metres to 23 billion cubic metres over three years.
Illegal Dump Reduction
Kazakhstan reduced the number of illegal waste dumps from about 8,600 in 2018 to 2,600 in 2026, a decline of more than three times. In 2026, akimats eliminated 2,035 of the identified illegal dumps, or 77 percent, with the remaining sites still being cleaned. Monitoring was strengthened through space monitoring by JSC NC Kazakhstan Garysh Sapary and digital feedback channels. Residents can report problems directly through @TazaQazBot and eGov Mobile, with over 50,000 requests processed since 2024 across 21 categories of improvement. In 2026 alone, more than 18,000 requests related to garbage collection and street lighting were received, and over 16,000 were processed by akimats.
Waste Recycling Growth
Municipal waste recycling in Kazakhstan increased from 1.2 million tonnes, or 25.8 percent, in 2024 to 1.5 million tonnes, or 30.6 percent, in 2025. In the first half of 2026, 2.1 million tonnes of municipal solid waste were generated, of which about 600,000 tonnes, or 27.7 percent, were sent for sorting and recycling. The EcoQolday programme subsidises the collection and recycling of secondary raw materials, with 1,087 applications submitted in the second quarter of 2026 for recycling over 3,500 tonnes of glass, waste paper, cardboard, worn car tyres, and polymers. From 2024 to 2026, more than 2.5 billion tenge was paid to enterprises and citizens through this mechanism.
Waste Infrastructure Investment
Kazakhstan plans to upgrade 2,755 municipal solid waste landfills and build 100 new landfills. The government approved preferential financing for 68 projects worth 374 billion tenge from the recycling fee, with 12 facilities already put into operation. Authorities simplified some permitting procedures and environmental requirements for rural sites. The volume of water in the North Aral Sea increased from 18.9 billion cubic metres to 23 billion cubic metres over three years. Kazakhstan is approaching its goal of planting 2 billion trees, with about 1.7 billion planted over five years.
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Tokayev's Taza Kazakhstan cuts illegal dumps to 2,600, boosts waste recycling to 30.6%
