This report presents an overview of successful waste sorting and recycling systems from five diverse countries or regions worldwide.

Each case is analyzed by highlighting their specific practices, government roles, promotion and implementation strategies, and notable outcomes.

The goal is to provide actionable insights that could inform and improve waste sorting and recycling efforts at the county government level in the United States.

Belgium, a leader within the European Union, has established an effective Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system that engages 91% of its population in waste sorting.

This high participation reflects strong regulatory frameworks and coordination among producers, consumers, and waste managers.

The government enforces EPR policies that require manufacturers to be responsible for managing the end-of-life of their products.

This responsibility motivates producers to design recyclable products and fund collection and recycling programs.

The widespread public compliance is supported by extensive awareness campaigns and accessible sorting infrastructure, resulting in high diversion rates from landfills and robust recycling outcomes .

Finland exemplifies advanced household waste management with impressive results: only 1% of household waste ends up in landfills while 99% undergoes recycling or recovery processes.

This achievement stems from strong collaboration between central and local governments, encompassing policies that promote waste sorting at source, accessible and well-maintained collection points, and sophisticated recycling technologies.

Public participation was crucial, facilitated by widespread educational initiatives raising awareness on environmental impacts and benefits of sorting.

Finland also proactively shares expertise internationally—for example, assisting Ukraine in enhancing their waste sorting and recycling systems—showing the government’s commitment to promoting best practices beyond its borders .

In Asia, several countries demonstrate success through comprehensive recycling frameworks, strong enforcement, and public engagement.

Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan have implemented waste levies, detailed recycling policies, and strict regulatory enforcement that significantly increased recycling rates.

For instance, Singapore recorded a 51.7% recycling rate for total waste (not solely household waste) in 2020.

These governments have invested heavily in building public awareness and participation programs alongside incentives and penalties to encourage sorting and recycling.

This coordinated approach across government agencies, private sectors, and community groups has enhanced efficiency and reduced waste generation at source.

By contrast, Hong Kong illustrates the challenges faced when policy enforcement and public participation are less cohesive.

Hong Kong struggles with limited landfill space, high costs for recycled product manufacturing, and lacks centralized government enforcement and active public engagement.

These issues hinder its progress compared to its neighbors in the region and underscore the importance of integrated policy and community involvement to achieve higher recycling rates .

Russia’s recycling rate for municipal solid waste is estimated at around 8% nationally, reflecting a system in transition.

The government has recently adopted initiatives featuring best practice guidelines for separate waste collection, smart public collection points, and modular infrastructure to promote dual-stream collection, now established in 61 regions.

They are advancing higher-level fractional sorting to increase recycling effectiveness and have updated regulatory frameworks accordingly.

The active role of companies like 'Charter', which manages advanced sorting facilities serving millions, demonstrates the combination of technological advancement and community participation in driving progress toward a circular economy .

India, despite its vast population and infrastructure challenges, is achieving remarkable localized success through grassroots initiatives and the integration of informal waste workers.

For example, One Step Greener has scaled from neighborhood projects to serve over 25,000 households, achieving over 95% recycling rates in those communities.

Nationally, India's recycling rate is estimated at about 30%, driven largely by informal sector operations not fully accounted for in official statistics.

Organizations like Sampurn(e)arth Environment Solutions coordinate waste audits, recycling, biogas production, and formal integration of informal waste pickers, serving corporate and institutional clients while aiming to expand city-wide.

These initiatives highlight the critical role of education, community-level sorting, and social inclusion in improving waste management outcomes .

Comparative analysis reveals key elements common to successful systems: comprehensive regulations often including producer responsibility policies; robust government coordination and enforcement; community engagement and education campaigns; accessible and well-maintained waste sorting infrastructure; integration of advanced sorting and recycling technologies; and leveraging private sector and civil society partnerships.

Unique approaches reflect local contexts, such as Russia’s focus on technological modernization, India’s grassroots mobilization with informal waste workers, and Belgium’s wide-reaching producer-driven model.

Governments play critical roles across all examples, from establishing clear policies and regulatory frameworks, providing or incentivizing infrastructure, enforcing compliance, to actively promoting public education and awareness campaigns.

Collaboration across government levels and with private and non-governmental entities enhances implementation success.

Public engagement is vital to securing community participation, which is often fostered through educational outreach, transparent information, and incentive mechanisms.

For a U.S. county government looking to improve its waste sorting and recycling systems, recommendations include adopting extended producer responsibility policies that encourage product design for recycling and share waste management costs; investing in both education and infrastructure to facilitate convenient and clear waste sorting at source; incorporating informal sector workers or community groups into formal systems—for example, engaging local waste pickers or neighborhood associations in collection and sorting roles enhanced by training and support; piloting dual-stream or multi-stream collection systems supported by advanced sorting technologies; and enforcing consistent regulations coupled with incentives such as waste levies or pay-as-you-throw programs to motivate behavioral change.

Tailoring these approaches to local demographic, cultural, and economic conditions will maximize effectiveness.

Collaborative partnerships among government agencies, private waste management firms, retailers, producers, and community organizations are critical to sustained success.

In conclusion, global experiences demonstrate that successful waste sorting and recycling hinges on comprehensive government policy frameworks, inclusive and well-communicated public engagement, and adaptive, context-sensitive systems combining technology with social innovation.

Leveraging these lessons can help the county craft a more effective, sustainable waste management program that reduces landfill reliance, improves recycling rates, and advances environmental and social goals.

This report presents an overview of successful waste sorting and recycling systems from five diverse countries or regions worldwide.

Title:

Content: 18 +
Ecological cases from the Charter of Igor Chaika
Environmental cases from the Charter accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
The level of garbage sorting in the country reached 43.3% last year
19: 58, 16 February 2022
Photo: Sergey Lantyukhov / NEWS.ru
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Currently, the regions are analyzing successful practices in the organization of solid municipal waste (MSW) management and collection of recyclables in order to move to a circular economy by 2030.
In Kaluga, for example, they are going to use the experience of the capital cluster.
Now, when the leaders of the recycling industry are known, the regional authorities keep in focus the activities of companies that introduce high-tech methods of recycling recyclables.
One of the pioneers of the innovative direction in the field of waste recycling is the "Charter" of Igor Chaika, which has created in the regions of presence an effectively functioning complex infrastructure for separate collection of garbage and its disposal.
Chaika became the main owner of the company in 2017 and four years later it took the second place in the TOP-3 of the rego operators throughout Russia.
In the area of responsibility of the company operating in Moscow and the Moscow region, Yaroslavl, Tula and Vladimir regions, more than 6.8 million people.
Thus, in Tula in 2021, a high-tech complex for the treatment and neutralization of municipal solid waste was commissioned (in the future, its capacity will be 480 thousand tons).
In 2022, it is planned to launch an auxiliary facility on its territory with a capacity of 100 thousand tons per year, of which 18 thousand tons will be sent for disposal.
Last year, the Clean City garbage sorting complex in the Yaroslavl region was modernized, and in the Petushinsky district of the Vladimir region, the construction of a waste sorting complex with a capacity of up to 40 thousand tons per year was completed.
Sergey Lantyukhov / NEWS.ru
In addition, the Charter acts as a technical partner and organizer of round tables and other specialized events, at which the most important sectoral issues are discussed: training, interaction with volunteers in the field of environmental education, new technologies, etc.
Much attention is also paid to environmental actions, because the full operation of waste recycling facilities, according to experts, is possible only with their maximum load.
For example, in Tula, the Ecomobile project is implemented by the Charter together with volunteers.
At the established addresses, residents can pass:
• plastic certain marking, bags, waste paper, packing tetra pack;
• tinplate and aluminum;
• glass, which is then taken by the branded car.
The action has become popular in social networks and some regions have already adopted this case.
Together with large retail chains (in particular, with Lenta), Charter organized the collection of plastic, aluminum and other recyclables.
Last year, at the collection point opened in Yaroslavl, more than four tons of raw materials were collected for processing.
The trade network also expanded cooperation with the charitable project “Good Lids ”, the technical partner of which is the“ Charter ”.
During the action, tons of plastic bottle caps are collected in different regions, and the funds from their implementation are then sent to help children.
Komsomolskaya Pravda / Global Look Press
The creation of new capacities and the provision of support to already established enterprises of the waste processing sector on a national scale is entrusted to the Russian environmental operator, whose powers have recently been expanded by a presidential decree.
Now REO will be able to participate in the selection of recipients of intergovernmental transfers and subsidies of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, directed to the field of waste management.
This will help entrepreneurs implementing investment projects in the regions, and will allow, combining the efforts of business, the population, volunteers and all levels of government, in the next decade to move to a new type of economy.
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Each case is analyzed by highlighting their specific practices, government roles, promotion and implementation strategies, and notable outcomes.

Title:

Content: Bauhinia Party ｜ Refresh Waste Charges
Author: 01 Forum
Published: Updated:
Like most Hong Kong people, I did not have any concept or awareness of garbage collection, until I heard that it was officially implemented on April 1 this year, and I began to pay attention to it.
In fact, the legislation on waste charging has been passed by the Legislative Council as early as August 2021, and the specific provisions of waste charging are actually very simple and clear, that is, based on the "polluter pays" principle, all waste, whether from individuals, families or groups, or according to the pre-purchased designated garbage bags, or according to the weight of the waste, the "entry fee".
As for the government's intention to implement waste charging, it is also very clear and simple, that is, to force the public to reduce waste and recycle through charging, and promote the sustainable development of ecology.
Author ： Zhou Xiaojao
Although the rules are simple and clear, it is not so easy to really land.
In order to pay less, people will try to pack more garbage into garbage bags. How should those crowded garbage bags be tracked and handled? In order to pay less, people will dispose of their garbage in public places such as streets, parks, markets, shopping malls, etc., how should such behavior be identified and enforced? As for the different groups that produce large amounts of waste, as well as the property, cleaning, refuse collection and other organizations that assist in the disposal of waste, a series of countermeasures are also required.
It is in view of the complexity of implementation that the Government has set aside a preparation period of up to 18 months for the formal implementation of the Ordinance.
However, the general public, like the author, did not really start to pay attention to the new policy, which will affect every household, until the first two or three months of its implementation, and there was a lot of uncertainty and doubt. Ming. "
But the question is, is the disruption caused by garbage charges really just a problem of insufficient publicity?
How to deal with garbage is an old problem faced by cities, especially large cities.
Specifically, there are three core issues surrounding the garbage problem: First, how to control the amount of garbage generated? Second, how to encourage the classification of garbage management? Third, how to deal with different types of garbage? The first issue mainly relates to the source of garbage: how to avoid excessive packaging?
How to promote the environmental protection of packaging materials? The second issue relates to the recycling of waste: how to guide the public to separate and collect different types of waste according to the difficulty of recycling? The third issue relates to the fate of waste: simple stacking, centralized landfill or recycling, incineration and power generation?
In response to the above garbage issue, Hong Kong has not made a satisfactory response for a long time, let alone effective action.
The lunch boxes purchased on the street are still foam or plastic that cannot be decomposed. Shopping bags provided by shopping malls are also plastic products, and the goods purchased from the mainland are wrapped in plastic layer after layer.
There was a time when Hong Kong encouraged the classification of kitchen waste and the production of agricultural fertilizer from kitchen waste. Unfortunately, this good practice failed to persist, and the public has not formed a self-awareness of garbage classification.
A large amount of waste has been sent to the countryside to landfill without any sorting. The existing three major landfills are already overwhelmed, and facilities such as waste power generation have taken more than 10 years to start.
Solving the waste problem itself is a systematic project, involving all aspects, coupled with the interests of thousands of households and changes in living habits, so each country in the disposal of the waste issue mostly adopt a gradual, tailored, durable strategy.
Japan is recognized as the best country in terms of waste disposal. The key to its success is the gradual development of a sense of garbage sorting through half a century of sustained efforts and strict laws and regulations.
Mainland China also tries to start with garbage sorting, although there is a strong enforcement force, but the government still dare not play a game of chess across the country, but choose some cities to pilot first, and then gradually push to the whole country.
In contrast, Hong Kong, which has been lagging behind on garbage disposal, naively uses “polluter pays ” as the ultimate“ killer ’ s mace ” in an attempt to “get it done. ”
This mentality is understandable, but can a simple, one-size-fits-all waste charge really solve the waste problem facing Hong Kong?
Can you encourage eco-friendly packaging?
Can you promote garbage separation?
More importantly, can the current waste charging design really reduce the amount of waste generated?
I am afraid the answers to these questions are not as optimistic as the Government thinks.
If Hong Kong ’ s waste challenge is not effectively addressed, then what is the point of this policy, which costs the time and money of all citizens and stakeholders?
For example, in order to make up for the long-term inaction on reclamation, the SAR Government hastily launched the HK $trillion-dollar Lantau Island Construction Project in the absence of full consultation with the community, making it difficult for the project to ride under the current internal and external environment. The awkward situation.
The author is not sure whether garbage collection will also face similar experiences, but if the publicity and communication in the next few months can not convince the community that the relevant garbage collection policy can effectively solve the garbage problem faced by Hong Kong, then it is necessary for the SAR Government to suspend the implementation of the relevant policy, and redesign the plan to be more gradual and targeted, focusing on effectively solving the waste generation, waste management and recycling. A series of policies, and consistent implementation.
In fact, the above doubts about the government ’ s waste charging policy have emerged since the government first introduced the relevant bill to the Legislative Council in 2018.
Although the Bills Committee set up at that time to scrutinize the relevant bills supported the direction of the Government's waste reduction policy, it also made a large number of recommendations on the effective implementation of the relevant policies. Some members even held different views on whether the relevant fees could achieve the preset targets.
The Government has also responded to the views of the Bills Committee, including improving waste reduction and recycling measures and providing assistance to those in need.
Regrettably, these reasonable measures should be perfect in the two years after the passage of the relevant regulations in the preparatory stage either in the form, or the lack of publicity, and ultimately let this in the design of the innate deficiencies, in the landing and inadequate preparation of the waste reduction policy is likely to fall into the eyes of the public "workers hurt money" and abandoned halfway.
The author, Zhou Xiaojui, is a researcher at the Bauhinia Institute for Policy Studies.
The article is only the opinion of the author and does not represent the position of Hong Kong 01.
Please email us at 01view @ hk01.com.
Please attach the author ’ s real name and contact details.
If not applicable, no notice will be given.

The goal is to provide actionable insights that could inform and improve waste sorting and recycling efforts at the county government level in the United States.

Title:

Content: ROP, or How will Kyrgyzstan recycle its waste?
In Bishkek, a seminar was held on the topic of extended producer responsibility (EPR) for the disposal of goods and packaging, organized by the WasteNet.KG. project.
The seminar was attended by producers of products, government authorities, waste processing enterprises, non-governmental and international organizations and experts.
Director of CSR Central Asia Agency Asel Arstanbekova noted that the issues of environmental safety, social responsibility of producers are very acute.
“In many countries, the topic of social expanded responsibility is already active and, having studied their experience, we would like to determine what is applicable for Kyrgyzstan, ” she said.
WasteNet.KG expert Natalia Baidakova presented the concept of the concept of extended producer responsibility (EPR), its implementation mechanisms, and the ultimate goal of which is to reduce and gradually reduce to zero the disposal of waste that can be used in recycling and recycling.
How is the situation with the ROP in Kyrgyzstan?
The issue of waste accumulation in Kyrgyzstan is reflected in many strategic documents, such as the National Development Strategy of Kyrgyzstan until 2040, the Green Economy Concept, and the Green Economy Development Program.
More than 40 laws include waste issues.
The main ones are the law on environmental protection, on industrial waste, which was adopted back in 2001.
Naturally, this document needs to be amended and supplemented.
In addition, a classification of hazardous waste based on international standards has been developed and adopted.
The legislation specifies that separate collection of waste should be carried out, for use as secondary resources it is prohibited to use hazardous waste as secondary raw materials.
But at the same time, many norms are absent, for example, there is no definition of what secondary waste is, there are no norms regulating the collection and processing of secondary raw materials, there are no norms for stimulating the processing of secondary materials, and so on.
The legislation undoubtedly requires changes, another thing is what these changes will be.
On March 19, 2021, a decree of the President of Kyrgyzstan on measures to ensure environmental and climate security was adopted.
A number of points were aimed at improving the efficiency of waste management, implementing separate collection of garbage, including stimulating the creation of recycling enterprises.
In 2019, a number of laws were also amended, for example, the law of consumption production, the procedure for handling hazardous mercury-containing waste.
What now?
In Kyrgyzstan, favorable conditions have been created for the organization of an effective management system and the introduction of expanded producer responsibility.
Thus, in December 2021, the Action Plan of the Cabinet of Ministers on the implementation of the National Development Program of the Kyrgyz Republic until 2026 was approved, which provides for the implementation of a number of measures to improve the waste management system.
The measures are aimed at introducing amendments and additions to laws, regulatory legal acts, including in terms of introducing the principles of the concept of extended responsibility of manufacturers of ROP for the disposal of goods and packaging.
Experience of other countries and international companies
Aleksandara Akirman, Caucasus and Central Asia Public Relations Manager at The Coca-Cola Foundation, noted that almost all global manufacturers of goods and packaging have committed to transfer from 8 to 10% of secondary raw materials to new packaging.
“In the next five to ten years, the companies intend to use more environmentally friendly materials, develop new types of packaging, provide for collection and processing.
At the same time, companies are trying to work with government authorities in their respective countries to ensure that such systems develop.
Now in Kyrgyzstan there is a linear economy of packaging, in which most packages go to landfill, are dumped in the form of garbage.
Almost 100% of the primary material is used.
While in a circular economy, plastic packaging is used endlessly.
The new packaging needs to be recycled.
Such a circular economy is possible.
In more than 30 countries around the world, we produce packaging from recycled materials, ” she said.
The OECD Environment Directorate, economist and environmentalist Frisief Lubinger in his speech noted that at present the ROP system is actively developing and is beginning to be used more intensively around the world.
"The transition to PPE is particularly active in North America, Europe and a number of transition economies, but it should be noted that in transition economies, additional resources are needed to make the system fully operational," he added.
Next, Givi Kalandadze, an expert from Georgia, the chairman of the operator of the ROP, said that the country has a special law on waste management, which has a special section under number 9 dedicated to the ROP.
“Also, the law has an important section dedicated to responsible persons who monitor the ROP.
Such a manager should be in each organization and be responsible for coordination, for cooperation with stakeholders in waste management. "
Experts from Kazakhstan and Russia also spoke about the system of implementation of the ROP in their countries, about successes and failures.
In addition, during the event, it was noted that the first place in the ROP system for packaging is occupied by the countries of the European Union, in which Belgium is the leader, where 91% of the population sorts garbage.
Next are the countries of the Middle East, followed by the countries of Africa, then Latin America, followed by Canada, then the countries of Southeast Asia and close the list of the countries of the former USSR.
Author: Munara Borombaeva.
Photo: Vlad Ushakov
Source: Kuramastory
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Belgium, a leader within the European Union, has established an effective Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system that engages 91% of its population in waste sorting.

This high participation reflects strong regulatory frameworks and coordination among producers, consumers, and waste managers.

The government enforces EPR policies that require manufacturers to be responsible for managing the end-of-life of their products.

This responsibility motivates producers to design recyclable products and fund collection and recycling programs.

The widespread public compliance is supported by extensive awareness campaigns and accessible sorting infrastructure, resulting in high diversion rates from landfills and robust recycling outcomes .

Finland exemplifies advanced household waste management with impressive results: only 1% of household waste ends up in landfills while 99% undergoes recycling or recovery processes.

Title:

Content: Ukraine will deepen cooperation with Finland in the direction of household waste management.
According to the press service of the Ministry of Regional Development, this was announced by the Minister of Communities and Territories Alexey Chernyshov during a meeting with the Ambassador of the Republic of Finland to Ukraine Päivi Laine.
It is noted that in Finland, only 1% of waste ends up in landfills, the vast majority is recycled.
This is the result of the interaction of the central and local authorities, as well as the awareness of citizens
Ukraine is also planning to adopt this experience.
“Finland is a country that demonstrates high standards of environmental waste management.
Almost all the citizens of this country sort the garbage.
As a result, 99% of household waste is recycled.
This experience will be useful for Ukraine.
So, a similar process is already underway in hromadas - in 1725 settlements of our state, a separate collection of household waste has been introduced.
But it is necessary to scale this direction and introduce useful practices of international partners in the country, "Chernyshov said.
Read alsoIn the Odessa region on the Danube, the dam is destroyed - under it meter voids In the press service reminded that thanks to the implementation of separate collection of garbage in 2020, about 6.3% of household waste was recycled and disposed of in Ukraine.
In turn, Laine noted that Finland is ready to share experience and help Ukrainian communities to implement waste processing projects.
“We also have companies that recycle waste into energy.
In such a comprehensive way, we improve the ecology of our country, ” she added.
Waste recycling in Ukraine
As UNIAN reported, in July 2020, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted in the first reading the draft law No. 2207-1-d “On waste management ”.
The document establishes the procedure for the collection, removal and treatment of waste, ensures the introduction of their separate collection and recycling, provides for the requirements for the quality of the provision of waste management services and the charging of fees for such a service.

This achievement stems from strong collaboration between central and local governments, encompassing policies that promote waste sorting at source, accessible and well-maintained collection points, and sophisticated recycling technologies.

Public participation was crucial, facilitated by widespread educational initiatives raising awareness on environmental impacts and benefits of sorting.

Title:

Content: Hong Kong ’ s slow progress in environmental governance – why not look at the Greater Bay Area and the world?
Author: Liu Mengting
Published: Updated:
In 2005, the SAR Government proposed to develop a recycling economy, that is, to reduce the environmental burden by repairing, recycling and extending the service life of materials, to find a way out for recycling recyclable materials, and to promote the development of related industries and promote economic diversification.
However, more than a decade later, Hong Kong ’ s circular economy has not made much progress.
In this regard, some scholars suggest leveraging the advantages of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
At the same time, Hong Kong ’ s waste management policy is not yet climate, and we must match the experience of “top students ” such as Korea, Taiwan and Singapore.
Circular Economy Enemies the Greater Bay Area
Professor Patrick Poon, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has been developing a patented technology for converting waste glass into environmentally friendly bricks since the 1990s, with a view to improving the recycling efficiency of waste glass.
Green brick is a kind of concrete brick, can effectively use construction waste and waste glass, the third generation of green brick has been put into the market as paving brick.
For more than 20 years, the technology has been optimized by scholars to the fifth generation, but it is still “technology without market ”.
In an interview with "Hong Kong 01" recently, Poon mentioned the two main reasons why the development of the local green brick industry is hindered, which is also the dilemma faced by Hong Kong's circular economy.
Pan Chih-sheng says that the research on green bricks has been successful, but the price is not competitive. (photo by O'Cara)
One of the main reasons is that local manufacturing has caused the high enterprise products to lose market advantage. Poon analysis, because the whole production process of environmentally friendly bricks produced in Hong Kong is completed in Hong Kong, and the land price and labor in Hong Kong are very high, and the price has also risen with the water. It is necessary to open up the market to achieve maximum trade liberalization, so the possibility of contractors choosing Hong Kong materials for profit considerations is very low.
On the other hand, the Hong Kong government has not introduced relevant policies to require the actual use of environmentally friendly materials, in the absence of just the premise, the market share of environmentally friendly bricks is unstable, and the current use of the third generation of environmentally friendly bricks is about 20% more expensive than natural sand bricks, so the project side may not consider the use of environmentally friendly bricks.
Another major obstacle is that the government did not help. Pan Zhisheng pointed out that environmental protection bricks are made of recycled materials, although the quality and performance of the bricks are not lost to natural sand and stone, but the quality difference is greater.
However, according to the existing government regulations, the two are regarded as the same, that is, the quality of environmentally friendly materials is too high, but it may still be regarded as unqualified due to the degree of quality difference. This single regulation is a constraint for the application of environmentally friendly bricks. If the outlook does not improve, it will be more difficult to attract investors.
Under such a vicious cycle, the government has no intention to invest or give support, and the environmental protection brick industry chain has become a dead end.
The recycling rate of local waste in Hong Kong is low, and exports are facing many restrictions.
In an interview with Hong Kong 01, Wong Woon-chung, director of the Johan Centre for Applied Forestry Research in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), Hong Kong Baptist University, pointed out that the land resources in Hong Kong are tight, such as the opening of a recycling plant for recycled materials will double the cost.
Mr Wong stressed that the circular economy requires complementary advantages from different regions. There is no way out if the development vision is limited to Hong Kong. (photo by Mr Cheng Tze-feng)
Waste management in Hong Kong is inefficient and should be seen around the world
South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan implemented waste levies in 1995, 1996 and 2000 respectively. Since then, they have gradually developed comprehensive and mature environmental policies with local characteristics.
Hong Kong's waste management system has been fragmented for many years, and it is time to look at the world and learn from advanced experience and thinking.
Hong Kong ’ s waste management policy has not been good for many years, and the climate should be on par with other regions. (Photo by Tsai Cheng-pong)
Korea has introduced waste utilization measures in a multi-pronged manner to achieve long-term management, so the Korean waste management system is at the forefront of Asia.
For example, the city of Seoul, which has achieved the most remarkable results, introduced a series of supporting measures in a few years to change the entire waste treatment model, public perception of waste and living habits after the implementation of the garbage levy system in 1995.
In contrast, the Hong Kong Government is always "discussing" with the industry and "considering" the initiatives of environmental protection groups.
Taiwan is also a leader in waste management in Asia.
The Taiwan government sent a special cleaning team to collect household waste from residents using two types of recycling trucks – yellow garbage trucks are used to collect general waste from residents using official garbage bags, and white garbage trucks are used to collect raw and cooked food waste, plastic and other recyclable resources.
As early as 1997, the Taiwan Environmental Protection Agency launched the "Resource Recovery 4-in-1 Program", which fully mobilized the role of the government, manufacturers, consumers and licensed recycling enterprises in waste management, not only to skillfully distribute the financial costs, but also to reflect the principle of impartiality.
Singapore has a small population, similar to Hong Kong, but the waste recycling work is more professional and centralized.
In Singapore, three waste management enterprises are licensed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) to provide waste collection and recycling services to residents in different parts of the country. The waste is meticulously classified into paper, plastic, glass and metal, and the garden waste is collected separately.
In the recycling process, incineration plants reduce the volume of waste by 90%, and then use 3% of non-incineration and non-recyclable waste to landfill to reduce the environmental burden.
According to statistics, Singapore ’ s solid waste recycling rate reached 51.7% in 2020, a model that Hong Kong can learn from.
As for the administrative efficiency of the Mainland, it is also worth reflecting on the Hong Kong government. In July 2019, Shanghai implemented what has been described as the “world ’ s most stringent ” waste separation measure.
First of all, its domestic waste is strictly divided into four categories, namely recyclables, hazardous waste, wet waste and dry waste; secondly, if individuals or units do not dispose of garbage in accordance with the classification, they will be punished with severe high fines.
Under the mandatory implementation of the government, Shanghai residents have achieved good environmental protection results after experiencing "pain".
The Garbage Levy Ordinance has already been introduced, but the Government must not be complacent about it, but must think about how to tie in with the Ordinance in the next step, and adopt a systematic and comprehensive thinking to achieve long-term waste management.
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Finland also proactively shares expertise internationally—for example, assisting Ukraine in enhancing their waste sorting and recycling systems—showing the government’s commitment to promoting best practices beyond its borders .

In Asia, several countries demonstrate success through comprehensive recycling frameworks, strong enforcement, and public engagement.

Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan have implemented waste levies, detailed recycling policies, and strict regulatory enforcement that significantly increased recycling rates.

For instance, Singapore recorded a 51.7% recycling rate for total waste (not solely household waste) in 2020.

These governments have invested heavily in building public awareness and participation programs alongside incentives and penalties to encourage sorting and recycling.

This coordinated approach across government agencies, private sectors, and community groups has enhanced efficiency and reduced waste generation at source.

By contrast, Hong Kong illustrates the challenges faced when policy enforcement and public participation are less cohesive.

Hong Kong struggles with limited landfill space, high costs for recycled product manufacturing, and lacks centralized government enforcement and active public engagement.

These issues hinder its progress compared to its neighbors in the region and underscore the importance of integrated policy and community involvement to achieve higher recycling rates .

Russia’s recycling rate for municipal solid waste is estimated at around 8% nationally, reflecting a system in transition.

The government has recently adopted initiatives featuring best practice guidelines for separate waste collection, smart public collection points, and modular infrastructure to promote dual-stream collection, now established in 61 regions.

Title:

Content: Posted Today, 13: 34
Published Today, 13: 34
Modified Today, 13: 34
Updated Today, 13: 34
REO released an album of the best practices of separate accumulation of MSW
11 January 2024, 13: 34
Photo: 1MI
The Russian environmental operator presented an album with the most effective practices of separate waste collection, including municipal solid waste (MSW).
This album will help the regions improve their waste management systems.
The head of the Russian environmental operator Denis Butsaev noted that the promotion of separate waste collection is an important factor for the development of the industry of handling MSW and the formation of a closed cycle economy, according to 56orb.ru.
It is with the separate collection of waste that the entire technological chain begins to be built.
However, it is necessary to ensure the convenience and accessibility of separate collection for the population.
It is for this purpose that the Russian environmental operator has developed an album, which is dedicated to fractional separate collection as a further vector of development of the closed cycle economy.
The album contains the experience of various organizations, which will help many to understand how to build a comprehensive waste management system.
Butsaev also noted that the creation of the album was due to requests from the regions.
The album presents information about Russian manufacturers of equipment for separate collection of waste, including special containers and grids, modules, smart reception points, fandomats, boxes and urns.
In addition, the album reflects the practices of separate collection of other types of waste, in addition to MSW, which are accumulated by citizens.
The Director General of the Russian environmental operator noted that dual separate collection of waste - the separation of garbage into two streams - is the first good step to solving the problem of waste, which is already successfully practiced in 61 regions of the Russian Federation.
However, a significant part of the waste of the population can not be processed with the use of dual collection.
For example, textile waste and waste paper are no longer recyclable after pollution, and cullet is lost during sorting and sent to landfills.
Therefore, the main focus of the album is on the experience of fractional separate waste collection.
The album contains a selection of the most effective practices of 18 regional operators and presents various forms of separate collection of secondary resources: stationary containers, modules at container sites, eco-points and regular promotions.
Also, the album describes information and educational activities, there is data on the collection of secondary resources to assess the effectiveness of various approaches.

They are advancing higher-level fractional sorting to increase recycling effectiveness and have updated regulatory frameworks accordingly.

The active role of companies like 'Charter', which manages advanced sorting facilities serving millions, demonstrates the combination of technological advancement and community participation in driving progress toward a circular economy .

India, despite its vast population and infrastructure challenges, is achieving remarkable localized success through grassroots initiatives and the integration of informal waste workers.

For example, One Step Greener has scaled from neighborhood projects to serve over 25,000 households, achieving over 95% recycling rates in those communities.

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Content: Published: 04/19/2024

A conversation with Vihaan Agarwal (’26), who along with his brother is revolutionizing recycling in India to protect human health and the environment.

By Jamie Hansen, Global Health Communications Manager

Cover photo courtesy of Vihaan Agarwal, One Step Greener

Vihaan Agarwal (‘26) fell in love with nature from an early age. As a toddler growing up in New Delhi, India, he grasped for the flash cards with pictures of birds and later adopted his grandfather’s passion for nature photography. He and his younger brother always requested trips to parks and wildlife refuges, and he still remembers with awe sighting a leopard striding across a majestic old gate in Ranthambore National Park.

So when worsening air pollution driven by trash-burning in landfills threatened both his health and ability to enjoy the natural world, he took action. At age 14, he and his 11-year-old brother Nav began organizing their neighborhood to sort trash and deliver what couldn’t be composted to recycling companies — thereby diverting it from landfills.

That movement grew into One Step Greener, an environmental nonprofit and social initiative working toward a zero-waste future through waste management, recycling, education, and tree planting. They also prioritize providing dignified, safe jobs to workers in the informal waste collection sector. Today, they serve more than 25,000 households for whom they have recycled about 600,000 kilograms of waste, meanwhile planting more than 40,000 trees. In 2021, the brothers received the International Children’s Peace Prize for their work.

Now a sophomore at Stanford, Agarwal continues to expand One Step Greener’s impact while pursuing his education with a focus on sustainability and international relations. While juggling coursework with 3:00am Zoom calls to New Delhi isn’t always easy, he’s energized by the ideas and resources he’s gained from fellow students and faculty.

 “A lot of the ideas I have for taking the organization forward wouldn’t be possible if I wasn’t here at Stanford,” he said.

He shared with us his story and insights for creating positive change that benefits people and the environment, one manageable step at a time.

How did you first become passionate about addressing pollution?

Around 7th grade, I started having a lot of asthma issues at the same time that air pollution in New Delhi started getting really bad. I was deeply passionate about wildlife and the environment and really wanted to do something to solve the problem that was hitting me hardest— air pollution. I planted some trees, but my research showed me this wouldn’t have a great impact and I wanted to take it a step further. At first I didn’t see anything more I could do about it.

Then, around 8th grade, pollution grew even worse, requiring children to attend school online or wear masks to protect themselves. Around that time, I was reading a newspaper on the way to school and saw an article about a fire in the city’s largest landfill, which was causing pollution throughout the city.

In that car ride, I made the connection that my waste was ending up in this landfill, which was causing air pollution, which affected me. I knew I needed to find a way to stop my waste from ending up in landfills.

Faced with such a daunting problem, how did you get started?

I started by doing some research and learned that the best way to keep the waste out of landfills was to segregate it so that it could be more easily recycled or composted. But this research was from countries with effective management systems for the waste, which was not the case in India. There were plenty of recycling companies in India, but they recycled imported waste from other countries. The supply chain just didn’t exist for them to get the waste from households like mine.

So I started composting my wet waste at home and storing my dry waste in the backyard. There was a point when our backyard became a mini mountain of dry waste, and my grandfather told me I had to do something about it.

But when I started calling recycling companies, they had no interest in handling my small amount of waste. We have WhatsApp groups for neighborhoods in India, so I messaged ours and invited our neighbors to get involved in this green initiative. That’s around the time we came up with the name One Step Greener, because we were trying to take one step towards a cleaner future. Within two weeks about 100 people signed up, which shocked us. We realized we needed to formalize the process, as my parents had been driving me around to pick up everyone’s recycling in their car and weren’t thrilled about it. We hired a truck and driver, and started storing the recycling in a vacant apartment basement that someone donated to us.

Were there ever moments of doubt or times you felt you were in over your head?

Oh, plenty of times. I remember walking into this basement filled with trash and thinking, “what in the world am I supposed to do with all this?”

I think I was definitely scared. But I was so passionate about this because I genuinely felt like every kilogram of waste I recycled was a personal victory. As one person, I’d been able to do something that benefited the environment.

At the time, we were very young and still in school, and we were growing alongside our organization in a sense. We took advice from our grandparents and parents, and my mom was very involved in the beginning since we were so young. But mostly there was just a lot of experimentation —  going out, doing it, trying new things and figuring out how it would work. We very quickly realized we needed to set up systems by which things could work without us being involved on a day-to-day basis. We formalized our NGO and hired a supervisor and a team to segregate the waste. As the organization grew from 100 to 2,000 to now 25,000 homes we kept adding systems.

Now that you’re at Stanford, how does your education inform One Step Greener and vice versa? How are you balancing these huge demands?

It’s not always easy to balance. The time difference is most challenging. I finish my schoolwork by 9 or 10pm and I’m able to take a few meetings by the time it’s morning in India. But the main thing is that I don’t have to do a lot because so much is on autopilot. We have a proper management team and my brother back home is still there to help run things.

I am trying to add value by fundraising and using my time at Stanford to incorporate technology into the organization. We are committed to ensuring that we do our work in a green way.  For instance, the vehicles that haul the waste are electric and I’m learning to map more efficient routes.

We recycle more than 95 percent of the waste that comes to us, and the rest (mostly single-use plastic) we store, which is expensive. Now, I’m trying to figure out manufacturing processes that will allow us to recycle single-use plastic. I’m talking to friends, classmates, and professors here to learn how to create the machines we need. We’re trying to close the loop completely.

What’s your advice to others looking to take that first step to address climate change or pollution?

Find an issue that’s affecting you or that you’re deeply passionate about. Think about it and think about what you can do – not necessarily to make massive change, but what’s the first step you can take?

Climate change is such a big existential threat that the natural response is fear — to question whether we can make a difference as one person. But fear shouldn’t lead to inaction. The premise of the speech that me and my brother gave when we won the Children’s Peace Prize was “take the plunge.” Yes, these problems seem so daunting. But unless you take the plunge, you’re not going to see how much you can do and the ripples you can make.

——-

Agarwal will be participating in the “Pollution and Health: Generating Evidence and Catalyzing Action to Advance Human and Planetary Health” conference on May 20-21.  Learn more and register for the conference.

Anyone wishing to learn more or get involved can visit One Step Greener here.

Nationally, India's recycling rate is estimated at about 30%, driven largely by informal sector operations not fully accounted for in official statistics.

Title:

Content: These Three Engineers Have Taken A Vow, To Save Our Environment And Teach Us To Convert Waste Into Wealth

Pragya Mukherjee
Updated on Sep 17, 2015, 13:08 IST-5.4 K Shares

Long before the nation answered the clarion call for a Swachh Bharat, three young electrical engineers took a good look at their environment and the decision to save it followed naturally. Debartha Banerjee, Jayanth Nataraju and Ritvik Rao were all new to Mumbai when they met at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in June 2010. During a social entrepreneurship course, they decided to embark on a project that would later become Sampurn(e)arth.

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"The name is derived from the Sanskrit meaning of the words," explains Debartha Banerjee, one of the three founders. "'Sampurn' means complete, while 'arth' means 'purpose', as also 'wealth'. Sampurn(e)arth embodies our vision of creating a purposeful venture which benefits both our planet and economy," he adds.

While working with NGOs that dealt with waste management at TISS, Banerjee, Nataraju and Rao realised that the amount of work yet to be done in the field was nothing short of gargantuan. "Many NGOs worked on waste management, but their impact was too small," explains Nataraju. "This city produces roughly 10,000 tonnes of waste daily, and the NGOs could only deal with 100-200 tonnes a day. Our goal was to create a scalable model that can collect, process and recycle waste in much larger volumes."

Sampurn(e)arth Environment Solutions, set up in 2012, provides customised waste management solutions, including waste audits, collection, recycling and maintenance. Projected as a zero waste model, it allows clients to not only cut losses through recycled goods, but it also helps clients make a profit with options such as biogas production. Till date, the trio have catered to over 75 clients. These include heavyweight corporates such as Tata Power, Axis Bank, DBS Bank, TCS and L&T, educational institutes, housing complexes and the municipal corporation. They have crafted end-to-end waste management solutions, including the setting up of waste trading centres, biogas plants and composting systems for organic waste.

One of the biggest beneficiaries of this system, they say, is the city itself. "The municipal corporation spends thousands of crores of rupees on waste management," says Nataraju. "That expenditure can be reduced. Moreover, money can be earned with our system." Banerjee adds, "In Mumbai, most dumping grounds are next to water bodies, and it is quite likely that a lot of our food and water are polluted. If we test the fish that we eat, it will probably be toxic. So we need to solve this problem."

However, the environment is not the only beneficiary of their work. The founders explain that they were greatly influenced by the work they did with the NGO Stree Mukti Sangathana, which works with women waste collectors. "A huge number of people, especially women, work in the unorganised sector as waste pickers. Most people almost never interact with them in their daily lives. Our goal was to integrate them into society, by training them to recycle and manage waste. By working with Sampurn(e)arth, they have a better livelihood and aspirations for the future. The unorganised labour force has the potential to be a part of tomorrow's solutions," says Banerjee.

However, their journey has not been an easy one. "Our biggest challenge is not awareness, but people's attitude," admits Rao. "In other countries, people segregate their waste into five to six categories to help with collection and recycling, but in Mumbai, even if we have two categories, that's half the battle won," adds Banerjee.

It's been three years since the project kicked off and today, Sampurn(e)arth has transformed waste collectors into a team of waste managers. They have, so far, handled over 1,000 tonnes of dry waste and 1,000 tonnes of wet waste. But they are only getting started. The founders explain that they hope to scale up the system to handle giant city projects and even expand the project to other Indian cities.

(Originally published in Mumbai Mirror)

Organizations like Sampurn(e)arth Environment Solutions coordinate waste audits, recycling, biogas production, and formal integration of informal waste pickers, serving corporate and institutional clients while aiming to expand city-wide.

These initiatives highlight the critical role of education, community-level sorting, and social inclusion in improving waste management outcomes .

Comparative analysis reveals key elements common to successful systems: comprehensive regulations often including producer responsibility policies; robust government coordination and enforcement; community engagement and education campaigns; accessible and well-maintained waste sorting infrastructure; integration of advanced sorting and recycling technologies; and leveraging private sector and civil society partnerships.

Unique approaches reflect local contexts, such as Russia’s focus on technological modernization, India’s grassroots mobilization with informal waste workers, and Belgium’s wide-reaching producer-driven model.

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Economy and ecology: is business ready to support the “green ” agenda in the crisis
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Sanctions, difficulties with logistics and currency transactions, it would seem, have pushed the ESG agenda and, in particular, environmental issues to the distant plan.
However, the business has not abandoned its developments, as it allows you to save money.
At the same time, the need for domestic technologies, in particular those related to the disposal and processing of waste, has increased.
In 2020-2021, Russia adopted several laws and launched several projects at the federal level that support the “green ” agenda in the development of the economy and energy.
However, since the beginning of March, some of them have been put on pause to reduce the burden on entrepreneurs.
At the same time, at SPIEF-2022, Deputy Prime Minister Victoria Abramchenko spoke about the separate collection of garbage and the rejection of plastic disposable packaging, which means that the environmental agenda is not completely forgotten.
The participants of the round table “Fontanka ” discussed what is happening now with the legislative framework and in practice in areas related to the environment.
– We have not changed anything, we have developed as part of the ESG agenda, and continue, – says the Director of strategic marketing and business development Lindström Irina Kiuru. – In April, we launched a project for employees to recycle and reuse personal textiles together with the Tolkovo project.
Many KPIs in our company are tied to the environment – to reduce the carbon footprint and, first of all, to reduce the consumption of resources: water, electricity, chemistry, which we use – the decrease in recent years has been 30-50%.
Of course, now ecology is not the main issue in negotiations with potential customers, but if companies are reoriented from Western markets to Eastern ones, then the topic of ecology is quite relevant for them.
According to her, the desire to reduce all environmental costs in order to survive the crisis is the first, often ill-considered reaction, since investments in environmental initiatives in the future will bring benefits.
“But we see rhetoric at the highest level that we will not depart from the ESG, we will not leave the Paris Convention and all federal programs continue, ” said Irina Kiuru. – And it seems to me that no matter how the requirements from the authorities are reduced, the mission of the companies is not to stop the process. ”
Ecology, for example, can become a new direction in business activities.
According to Nikolai Voronkov, the head of the garden and park facilities of Pro Cleaning LLC, the company is engaged in professional cleaning of residential areas - cleaning of territories and premises.
- Working, we began to dive into the problem that does not directly relate to our activities - namely, the lack of green spaces in the territories, - said Voronkov. - We have residential complexes of 20-30 floors, very dense, the mass of the population is large.
And we came up with the idea to try first at our facilities, and then offer the city to increase the amount of greenery in the yards.
As a resource, container sites that exist in almost every yard are chosen - it is proposed to install green screens around them, planting large-sized conifers, and the second tier - lower ones.
Thus, an evergreen zone is formed.
The Green Screen project also includes the training of engineering and technical personnel in the care of green spaces, cooperation with the Forestry Academy, as well as master classes for children and adults interested in how to care for green spaces.
- We believe that decisions to weaken the environmental agenda are harmful, as it will not solve the problems of enterprises, - said Dmitry Nepomshin, Deputy Director for Development of LLC "TEK" (Fuel Energy Company). - Those companies that seek to reduce their production costs as much as possible, at the same time pay great attention to the environment.
He noted that now, judging by the plans to create new landfills, the transition to separate collection and processing will slow down, while there are technologies that allow processing almost 100% of waste.
“We have developed an innovative technology that does not create“ tails ”, but only a useful secondary product, which will save the city and the region from pollution, ” said Nepomshin.
Meanwhile, work on the environmental agenda continues also in the scientific and educational environment: in 2021, the Faculty of Environmental Technologies was established at ITMO University.
Specialists in environmental safety, resource conservation, secondary waste management, urban ecology and other “green ” technologies gathered there to jointly develop a sustainable development strategy at the intersection of science, education and production.
— The main problem that our economy has faced in recent years is the lack of specialized specialists with a sufficient theoretical base and practical skills, — says Roman Uvarov, Associate Professor of the Faculty of Environmental Technologies at ITMO University. — To train specialists capable of solving complex tasks to ensure environmental protection by engineering methods, ITMO established the Faculty of Environmental Technologies.
Students can get not only the necessary eco-engineering basis on the bachelor ’ s program “Ecology and Sustainable Development ”, but also in-depth profiling on the master ’ s programs“ Recycling and Industrial Symbiosis ”, “Industrial Ecology ” and“ Environmental and Technosphere Safety ”
“The culture of production should be laid from the university so that a person, getting to the enterprise, has a certain pattern of behavior, or cultural code, how to behave in a particular situation, ” Roman Uvarov emphasized. – Now there is a significant lack of engineers in this area, especially designers and technologists.
Enterprises are ready to take students of 3-4 courses for practical training and subsequent employment.
We are actively developing a corporate magistracy, when companies together with university teachers form an educational agenda.
As a result, the specialist knows the specifics of the enterprise, he has a zero adaptation period.
A special place in the work of the Faculty of Environmental Technologies is given to the analysis of changes in the regulatory framework: in the period 2014-2018, the “environmental ” legislation of the Russian Federation underwent a number of significant changes.
When preparing students, not only the latest trends are taken into account, but also current legislative acts.
— I would not say that the regulatory framework is being simplified, I would say that it is being updated, continuously improved, and some points that were not previously paid attention to come to the fore, in view of the importance of decision-making — Roman Uvarov emphasized. — Now the main question is how to synchronize the technological base with the current legislation so that everything works in tandem.
A number of decisions on how to simplify the activities of companies, reduce the number of inspections, suspend legislative initiatives, were made both at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and now, recalls the Chairman of the Interstate Technical Committee for Standardization No. 223 “Packaging ” Peter Bobrovsky.
Thus, enterprises are created with the conditions that they focus on maintaining their activities and stability of supply.
At the same time, in practice, the situation is ambiguous, he notes:
- The decision to change the mechanism of extended producer responsibility was put on pause in the government plan, but at the same time supporters of these changes in the legislation continue to insist on their adoption, albeit with certain delays.
In fact, our legislation in this area is advanced, the law on production and consumption waste is good, but the problem is that since December 31, 2014, when amendments were adopted introducing extended producer liability (EPR), the necessary number of by-laws have not been developed that would launch the implementation of EPR in full.
At first glance, the process is hampered by bureaucratic, but very important issues.
For example, the law provides for benefits for manufacturers of biodegradable packaging, but the all-Russian classifier did not have the appropriate codes for it, so it was not possible to get benefits.
“All over the world, whoever created a product or product that bears a burden on the environment, is responsible for its further processing or disposal, ” Dmitry Nepomshin confirmed,“ the question is that it is necessary to ensure this opportunity.
At the federal level, it should be decided to add the cost of processing or recycling to the cost of products, and then return it to manufacturers if they have provided it.
For example, tire manufacturers supported the initiative to recycle them, they transfer them to us - we recycle, but they do not receive money from the state, the circle is not closed!
— There are just not enough by-laws that determine who does what and how, — agrees Bobrovsky, — We even have the concept of secondary material resources was established by law literally a few months ago.
The same tire - you need to understand at what point it becomes a waste and what should be done with it so that it turns into a secondary raw material - this term, by the way, also did not exist before.
Is it worth taking care of the environment
The description of the numerous problems that stand in the way of environmental initiatives inevitably raises the question: can it in principle be profitable for companies to become “greener ”?
– Of course, taking care of the environment can be beneficial, – confirms Irina Kiuru. – Reducing the use of resources leads to a decrease in the cost of the product – our service.
We have achieved 50% energy savings, 30% detergent savings, and we are optimizing our routes and supply chains – reducing the distance a unit of our products travels.
In addition, Lindström is engaged in the processing of textiles into a secondary product - rags.
— Now in Russia there is a big shortage in secondary textiles, and the companies that are engaged in its supply are ready to pay for it.
The provision of rags for rent is also becoming relevant, ” Irina Kiuru said.
At the same time, she noted that initially various eco-initiatives, of course, require investments from the company: reducing the consumption of resources requires the improvement of equipment, changes in working processes, training of personnel.
“Without having a culture within the company, it is impossible to support it, ” said Irina Kiuru. – This should be in the strategic initiatives of the company, and at all levels – up to specific KPIs, specific employees.
And most importantly, business should sincerely do it, and not because of regulations. ”
— The lower the level of the position of employees, the more they should be involved, — agreed Peter Bobrovsky. — Otherwise, all this crumbles at the level of the head of the warehouse or ordinary workers who banal do not want to waste their time sorting waste.
- It is often said that separate collection does not work, but it works - it is necessary to separate the garbage first, - says Dmitry Nepomshin. - Another question is why it is not recycled later.
The sphere of processing depends on the infrastructure, enterprises that are ready to accept it all.
We have many private initiatives where people collect garbage separately and send it to its destination.
And even this is already a contribution to the fact that less garbage was on the landfill.
In total, there are four main problems in the city: atmospheric air, processing of household waste, water bodies, soils and green spaces, Nikolai Voronkov noted.
- The city is choking, we still have not reached the standards that were 30 years ago, and the area of   green spaces is catastrophically decreasing, - he complains. - Tree and shrub nurseries disappear, the station for protecting green spaces has been eliminated.
A few years ago, an initiative group was created under the governor, then some movements began, then everything quickly disappeared.
According to him, in order to solve such global problems, it is necessary to start with yourself.
- While this is a green screen around container sites, then, perhaps, it will grow to urban proportions, - says Nikolai Voronkov. - You can screen and roads, and enterprises, and highways.
This is also promising in Lenny.
If we manage to say more often about the need to develop green spaces, then this will be a victory.
“This is a problem of the scale of the country, ” Dmitry Nepomshin continued,“ we are not accustomed to think on a small scale.
If in Germany the opportunity to save even 1 euro is already a reason to think, then for large machine-building companies in Russia, saving 1000 – 2000 rubles per unit of production is not interesting.
In general, the concepts of economy and ecology are very tightly combined.
In our company, we implement the ideology that garbage is a useful commodity product that can be processed and receive income.
For example, in LLC "TEK" see three useful products from garbage: synthesis gas, synthesis diesel and ash residue, which can be used as an additive to cement, for example, for shore protection.
The main technology promoted by the company is pyrolysis using high-temperature steam, but now, according to Dmitry Nepomshin, it is not in demand with the state, although it allows almost 100% to get rid of garbage, without increasing the tariff for disposal.
According to Roman Uvarov, ecology should be inextricably linked with the economy, and an illustrative example here is the Kalundborg agglomeration in Denmark, where the principle of industrial, or industrial, symbiosis has been used since the 70s.
Such a mechanism involves several enterprises, the waste from the production of which, after processing, allows returning most of the resulting raw materials to the production cycle, and the city administration acts as a coordination center.
The cycle of resource saving of the Kalundborg agglomeration was closed in 2017, but not within the framework of one company, namely in the connection “port – urban agglomeration – industrial enterprises ”.
“We worked closely with them, but came to the conclusion that it is impossible to copy everything blindly into Russian conditions, since each country has its own specifics, ” Uvarov said.
Our country is much more, therefore, waste is generated an order of magnitude more: annually in the Russian Federation there are about 300 million tons of solid organic waste - more than 2 tons of waste per person.
The creation of such industries, where the environmental model of doing business will be introduced, is possible through the training of competent personnel.
Within the framework of the Master ’ s program “Recycling and Industrial Symbiosis ”, we managed to rework, adapt to Russian conditions and supplement foreign experience in training designers capable of developing new and improving existing equipment, and technologists optimizing technological processes and resource consumption.
Involvement of students from the first months of training in scientific and practical projects allows not only to operate with current developments in this direction, but also, being on the scientific frontier, independently improve and invent new, more effective technologies and methods of waste management.
Technology for the present
Nikolay Voronkov believes that business should be the locomotive and the flagship in solving environmental problems.
But at the same time, according to Irina Kiuru, business often looks for projects, technologies, but cannot find them on the open market.
“We need some platforms where such projects can be found by those who are interested in them, ” she says.
At the same time, notes Pyotr Bobrovsky, platforms and various public structures even overabundance - for example, when there was a "fashion" for self-regulation, then in each region created SRO for waste, but in the end, these platforms do not work.
The first phase in waste management, which should be implemented, is, in general opinion, separation: only when all, let ’ s call it conditionally, the “components ” of waste are presented separately, we can talk about some effective processing, said Roman Uvarov.
– Sometimes they say that Europe has been on this path for a long time, and we do not have this time, but it is not quite so, – he stressed. – If you look, for example, at the reference books on the best available technologies, the West went to them for 35-40 years, and we have overcome this path in 5-7 years.
That is, using and effectively adapting foreign experience, it is possible to reduce the time of introduction of new technologies at times.
Of course, there are Russian developments on pyrolysis and incineration for recycling, but it is believed that the most rational use of recycling, or recycling, to return resources to the production cycle with minimal loss of nutrients.
He cited the paradoxical situation of organic waste, of which no more than 20% is returned to the technological cycle.
At the same time, in the Leningrad region a large number of poultry farms - and, accordingly, a lot of waste - and at the same time very poor soils, but the fertilizers that can be obtained from these wastes are not used in full.
- We have a number of innovative developments, introduced the technology of waste management at one of the enterprises of the Karelian Isthmus, where we put a whole line for the production of litter for animals from waste, - said Uvarov. - In addition to the fact that animals are less sick on this litter, it also saves money of the enterprise.
We are actively introducing fermentation technology, which allows for 24 – 72 hours to receive large volumes of fertilizers or peat soils, which can be used, including for landscaping.
We are also working on the production of biogas, but this technology is not very actively implemented due to the high cost and the need to recycle the residual effluent.
- There is so much gas in the country that it is not interesting here, - Dmitry Nepomshin commented. - In Russia, it is not even allowed on the market.
Plus, biogas is still an additional impact on the environment.
- Under our Russian conditions, the most interesting technology is processing into substrates, soils, because we have low-fertility soils, - agreed Roman Uvarov. - A similar project is being developed for the launch in the Far East, in addition, there is an increased interest in this technology in the regions of the Far North, where it is possible to grow crop products in greenhouses in closed areas, using the resulting poultry waste processing mills or livestock farms into fertilizers or soils.
But we need not only technology, but also equipment, and there are very few enterprises that produce it in the country.
- Until now, it was easier to bring European, Chinese and American equipment, - said Uvarov. - Not because it is better - a good marketing strategy of Western companies and an established dealer network gave their results for the sale of imported equipment.
Now we can see a transition to the fact that Russian equipment should be introduced, which is not inferior, and in some ways even superior to foreign models.
And there is also a need to train the staff who will work on it.
— We do not have enough system work at the junction of industry and science for the development of technologies, — Pyotr Bobrovsky believes. — For example, universities are actively developing new technologies, making prototypes.
Businesses may not even know what is there.
And if they know, it rests on many regulatory changes: there is no equipment in the classifier - and everything, as if it does not exist or it does not comply with some regulatory act that contains outdated parameters.
And neither the group of researchers at the university nor the industry is ready to deal with such problems.
In some cases, several ministries and departments are needed to change outdated legislation that does not take into account the development of certain industries.
But officials are not always ready to delve into the details, to understand the innovations, in addition, they are limited by the regulations of the civil service.
“We have been developing our technology ourselves and have been looking for scientific units that could support us for a long time, ” Dmitry Nepomshin said.“ We managed to promote the developments that have already been made through cooperation with LETI.
The technology itself consists in pyrolysis - this is a high-temperature process in which steam is used at 700 degrees - since there is no combustion, there is no dioxin emissions, Dmitry Nepomshin emphasized.
But in society there is no understanding of the difference between combustion and pyrolysis, so it is also treated with prejudice.
However, combustion is quite effectively used in Europe and North America, but there is a multi-stage cleaning system that is under vigilant control.
He said that in order to establish the interaction of scientific circles, institutions with business, it is necessary to use the experience of the West, which has solved this problem.
- There are scientific and production nadakademichesky centers that combine university and industrial work, - said Dmitry Nepomshin. - Business comes with a problem, and researchers solve it.
The most interesting thing is that this institute works both on private subsidies from business and on subsidies from the state.
According to Pyotr Bobrovsky, the participation of enterprises in the development of standards will also help, thus increasing the level of technological development and, since standards often serve as a source of data for normative acts, bureaucratic issues are resolved faster.
Maria Mokeycheva, Fontanka.ru
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Governments play critical roles across all examples, from establishing clear policies and regulatory frameworks, providing or incentivizing infrastructure, enforcing compliance, to actively promoting public education and awareness campaigns.

Collaboration across government levels and with private and non-governmental entities enhances implementation success.

Public engagement is vital to securing community participation, which is often fostered through educational outreach, transparent information, and incentive mechanisms.

For a U.S. county government looking to improve its waste sorting and recycling systems, recommendations include adopting extended producer responsibility policies that encourage product design for recycling and share waste management costs; investing in both education and infrastructure to facilitate convenient and clear waste sorting at source; incorporating informal sector workers or community groups into formal systems—for example, engaging local waste pickers or neighborhood associations in collection and sorting roles enhanced by training and support; piloting dual-stream or multi-stream collection systems supported by advanced sorting technologies; and enforcing consistent regulations coupled with incentives such as waste levies or pay-as-you-throw programs to motivate behavioral change.

Tailoring these approaches to local demographic, cultural, and economic conditions will maximize effectiveness.

Collaborative partnerships among government agencies, private waste management firms, retailers, producers, and community organizations are critical to sustained success.

In conclusion, global experiences demonstrate that successful waste sorting and recycling hinges on comprehensive government policy frameworks, inclusive and well-communicated public engagement, and adaptive, context-sensitive systems combining technology with social innovation.

Leveraging these lessons can help the county craft a more effective, sustainable waste management program that reduces landfill reliance, improves recycling rates, and advances environmental and social goals.