Forum on the Protection of Environment and Waste Recycling EcoTech 2014 Was Conducted in the City of Almaty

The 10th Anniversary Central Asian International Exhibition and Forum for Environmental Technologies, Waste Management, Industrial Water Treatment and "Green" Innovations EcoTech 2014 was successfully held on September 17–19, 2014 in the City of Almaty.

In the welcome letter addressed to the exhibition participants the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Vladimir Shkolnik, confirmed the topicality and significance of the EcoTech Forum: "The implementation plan of the Conception involving some specific actions aimed at the renewal of waste and water resource management systems, at the restriction of air pollution, at the realization of sustainable agriculture principles, at the promotion of energy efficiency and power saving, as well as at the diversification of power-operated "basket" by means of renewable energy source development has been realizing in our country. In addition, after all the necessary arrangements have been over, we are setting down to the elaboration of our own integrated system of waste collection and disposal".

This year the Exhibition was visited by the leading industry experts including the Director of Waste Product Division of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Beybut Shakhanov; the Deputy Director of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Department of the City of Almaty Erkebulan Orazalin; the Head of Waste Management Division of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management of the Astana City Administration (Akimat) Miras Gaysin; the Head of Ecological Information Division of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management of the City of Almaty Naziya Aukhinova; the Director of the Centre "Sustainable Development of Kazakhstan", the Executive Supervisor of "KazWaste" Association of Waste Management of the Republic of Kazakhstan Vera Mustafina; the Executive Supervisor of "KAPUR" Association of Natural Use for Sustainable Development Galina Artyukhina and many others.

It is to be recalled that about 30 companies from Great Britain, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Finland took part in the exhibition. The main objectives stated by the EcoTech 2014 exhibitioners were the following: the raising of awareness about their companies and meeting new clients. Have the objectives been attained? The participants' comments are self-explanatory:

Oleg Germanovich Semenov, the Director General, LLC "Seaside Zeolite": "We have landed new contacts and expect future cooperation. The visitors came to us for specific purposes and offers regarding the application of our output, in particular, filtering materials based on natural zeolite".

Manas Naurzbaevich Sagitov, the Regional Manager, "Kazgeobel-1": "Environmentally safe geo-synthetic fabrics applied for the highway and solid domestic waste landfill engineering, as well as for the construction of gas storages and sludge depositories are the business areas of our company. We have met the representatives of a business unit focusing on the construction of a landfill for solid domestic waste and using our geo-membrane. "Tengizchevroil" got interested in the materials produced by our company as the environmentally safe way for waste disposal".

Adam Skorut, the Chairman of the Board, "Skorut": "We came from Poland. The production of solar energy collectors is a business line of the company we represent. There are many exhibition participants taking an interest in our output, and we hope they will become our consumers at some future day".

One shall mention that waste recycling was the main focus of the EcoTech exhibition conducted this year. One-day International Conference "Development of Infrastructure for Waste Disposal in Kazakhstan" was held within the framework of the event.

The following topics were discussed during the forum: extended producer responsibility (EPR) as an effective mechanism for solving the problem of solid domestic waste; closed-loop economy (circular economy) as an innovative approach to the production and consumption waste management in Kazakhstan for the multi-use of products; solid domestic waste management at industrial sites. Where does the waste from the companies go? Who accepts the waste products and how are they processed? The issues of development of the infrastructure of waste disposal (including solid domestic waste and medical waste), e-waste problems and the best practices of their green recycling were also up for debate.

In addition, the joint project results of UNDP, the Government in the Republic of Kazakhstan and Samsung Electronics Central Eurasia: "E-waste Management" oriented to assist in the implementation of the conception aimed at "green" economy to be applied in Kazakhstan, as well as the practical experience gained by public-private partnership as exemplified in such companies as "Samsung Electronics Central Eurasia", "Alser" and "Sulpak" were being presented within the framework of the Conference.

The events were organized by the Kazakhstan Exhibition Company Iteca and its partner the International Group of Companies "ITE Group Plc." (UK) with the support and participation of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, UNDP, Almaty City Administration (Akimat), the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan and "Zhasyl Damu" JSC. "Tengizchevroil" LLP working in Kazakhstan is the bronze partner of the Exhibition and Conference EcoTech. The Conference partners are: "Samsung Electronics Central Eurasia", "TOMRA Sorting GmbH", and "KOMEK Machinery Kazakhstan". Business partners of the event are: "KAPUR", "SUR" Centre, "KazWaste" Association of Waste Management and the Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production.

The largest Kazakhstan producer of paper and packaging "Kagazy Recycling" provided the participants of the EcoTech with eco paper bags made of recycled waste paper and produced with in-house facilities.

For additional information on the event please visit: www.ecotech.kz