Waste-processing plant launched in Astana

A facility for sorting and processing of domestic wastes has been launched in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, Tengrinews.kz reports citing the city’s official website.The facility’s nominal capacity makes 250 thousand tons per year. All wastes collected in the city will be processed into recyclable materials: cellulose wool, tape, flexes, granulated polyethylene flocks, sheet gages.According to Director of the waste-processing plant Yegor Zinger, this is the only plant at the territory of CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States). “Its construction was funded by investments and supported by the city administration under the President’s control,” Astana’s website cited Zinger as saying.Besides producing the useful goods, the plant will help reduce discharge of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and cut wastes dumping 5 or 6-fold. There is also a big social-economic significance to the project: it created over 350 new jobs.Initially the plant was supposed to be put into operation in October 2012. However, the launch was re-scheduled because of a delay in construction and assembling works.