Kazakhstan is establishing a new waste management system, with Zhasyl Damu as its operator. The company has been granted the status of National Waste Management Center (NWMC) and will coordinate waste flows, interaction between the state, regions, and businesses, as well as introduce unified mechanisms for the industry, reports infohub.kz.
A key element of the new model will be a digital platform that will track waste movement at all stages, from generation to recycling. The platform will integrate digital passports of waste generators, planning and monitoring tools for waste transportation, and a unified database of waste management infrastructure facilities.
In parallel, Zhasyl Damu plans to develop the waste market, including e-commerce and economic support mechanisms for recycling businesses. Special attention will be paid to municipal solid waste (MSW) management in rural areas: plans include introducing a digital MSW management model, developing infrastructure, and modern planning and waste collection mechanisms.
For industrial waste, recycling support mechanisms will be created, national and international investments attracted, and recycling facilities built directly at waste generation sites.
These changes are linked to the Concept for Managing All Types of Waste in Kazakhstan for 2026-2030, approved by the government on December 31, 2025. The main idea of the document is to treat waste as a resource that can be returned to economic circulation.
JSC Zhasyl Damu is a subsidiary of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan and serves as the single state operator for extended producer and importer responsibilities. The company administers and collects recycling fees on imports of vehicles, agricultural machinery, batteries, and various types of packaging. The state transferred these powers to Zhasyl Damu in early 2022 after the liquidation of the private EPR Operator.
At the same time, the company remains a major source of budget revenue. In 2025, its net profit amounted to 39.5 billion tenge, compared to 37.4 billion tenge a year earlier. Of this amount, the company directed 27.6 billion tenge to the state as dividends.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that Zhasyl Damu head Yerzhan Sarsenbay said the company had collected and spent 1.5 trillion tenge in recycling fees over three years.