Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change Aziz Abdukhakimov told “Uzbekistan 24” TV channel that a recent meeting determined 15 key waste categories requiring special attention.

These include pharmaceutical and medical waste, organic residues, as well as toxic and radioactive pollutants.

According to him, all categories have been allocated to specific regions, which will pilot technologies for their disposal and recycling. In Tashkent, US$270 million is planned to be invested in construction waste processing, while in Samarkand Region about US$18.5 million will be allocated for electronic waste recycling. The experience gained during the pilot phase will later be expanded nationwide.

At the district level, the plan calls for one district in each region to implement a modern waste collection and removal system. This will involve small-sized vehicles, including electric scooters, to deliver waste to transfer stations for further sorting and recycling.

The Minister stressed that waste recycling is becoming a profitable sector of the economy with high job creation potential. In every mahalla, organic waste will be collected for the production of fertilizers and biogas, which will then be converted into electricity.

Sharifbek Khasanov, Director of the Waste Management Agency, added that the president has approved the construction of composting plants in remote areas. These facilities will process sewage sludge into gas and fertilizers for the agricultural sector.

According to him, waste from cesspools will be centrally transported to such plants, where gas will be extracted first, and the treated residues will be used as fertilizers.