Uzbekistan Cuts Number of Waste Landfills by 26%

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan plans to reduce the number of solid household waste landfills by at least 50% by 2030. The country currently has 200 landfills covering a total area of 1,653.47 hectares, with 14,000-15,000 tonnes of waste delivered to operating sites each day, the Agency for Waste Management and Development of the Circular Economy said.

There are currently 135 solid household waste landfills operating in Karakalpakstan and 12 regions. On average, 4,500-4,700 trips by specialised vehicles operated by sanitation companies and other organisations are made to the sites each day.

Under the established targets, the reduction in the number of landfills is expected to reach 20% in 2025, 26% in 2026, 30% in 2027, 35% in 2028, 40% in 2029 and 50% in 2030.

In 2024-2025, 50 solid household waste landfills covering a total area of 255.9 hectares were closed. Reclamation work was carried out at the sites. As a result, the number of landfills was reduced by 26%.

In 2026, another 18 household waste landfills are planned to be reclaimed in accordance with a presidential decree. This would bring the total number of closed landfills to 68, representing a 34% reduction.

Work is also underway to organise waste sorting. During the first six months of this year, 98 solid household waste landfills were listed on the electronic public procurement platform for competitive selection of entrepreneurs.

As of 1 August, winning entrepreneurs had already been selected for 22 of these sites.

Further reductions in the number of landfills are therefore planned through the closure and reclamation of sites and the development of waste-sorting services.