ADB Study Highlights How Smart Waste Infrastructure Can Drive Green Growth in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan’s first international-standard sanitary landfill in Tashkent, developed with ADB support, demonstrates how modern waste infrastructure can address rapidly rising waste volumes while advancing climate resilience, resource recovery, and circular economy goals. The report urges policymakers, development partners, and investors to scale reforms in waste segregation, recycling, private-sector participation, and regional waste planning to transform waste management into a driver of sustainable economic growth.

Uzbekistan's waste management sector is undergoing a major transformation, with the commissioning of Central Asia's first internationally engineered sanitary landfill in Tashkent marking a significant step toward sustainable urban development. Developed with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under a $69 million Solid Waste Management Improvement Project, the Akhangaran sanitary landfill is being presented as a model for how emerging economies can modernize waste disposal systems while creating opportunities for climate action, resource recovery, and private investment.

The project comes at a critical time for Uzbekistan. Municipal solid waste generation in Tashkent has increased sharply from about 1,950 tonnes per day in 2019 to nearly 3,000 tonnes per day in 2024, a rise of more than 53% in just five years. This rapid growth reflects increasing urbanization, higher consumption levels, and economic expansion, placing significant pressure on existing waste management infrastructure.

A Modern Landfill Designed for Long-Term Sustainability

Located around 30 kilometres southeast of Tashkent, the landfill covers 30.91 hectares and has a disposal capacity of approximately 1,950 tonnes of waste per day. It can store around 6.5 million tonnes of waste over its operational life, making it one of the region's most advanced waste disposal facilities.

Unlike conventional dumping sites, the landfill uses international engineering standards, including high-density polyethylene liners, clay barriers, leachate collection systems, and biogas management infrastructure. One of its most innovative features is the use of anaerobic bioreactor technology. Leachate generated during wet periods is collected and recirculated during dry seasons, accelerating waste decomposition and reducing treatment costs.

The design takes advantage of local climatic conditions. Tashkent receives an average annual rainfall of 570.7 millimetres, while annual evaporation reaches 1,297.6 millimetres. This natural advantage allows the landfill to generate about 91,907 cubic metres of leachate annually while maintaining an evaporation capacity of nearly 178,817 cubic metres. As a result, operational costs are reduced and landfill gas generation is enhanced, creating future opportunities for energy recovery projects.

The landfill is also divided into three engineered cells, allowing phased operation and future excavation, sorting, and recovery of stabilized waste. This approach extends landfill life and supports the concept of treating waste as a future resource rather than a permanent liability.

Waste Composition Reveals Major Circular Economy Opportunities

The report highlights that disposal infrastructure alone will not solve Uzbekistan's waste challenge. Waste composition studies show that 43.1% of Tashkent's municipal waste consists of organic material, including 32.76% food waste and 10.33% plant waste. Recyclable materials such as plastics, paper, cardboard, glass, and metals account for another 29.7%.

Despite this significant recovery potential, less than 10% of recyclable waste is currently recycled. Most sorting takes place after collection at transfer stations or disposal sites, often involving informal waste pickers. Organic waste recovery remains almost nonexistent, resulting in lost economic value and unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions.

For policymakers, these figures highlight the need to move beyond landfill development and focus on waste segregation at source, composting, recycling infrastructure, and circular economy industries. Given Uzbekistan's strong agricultural base, organic waste could become a valuable input for compost production, bioenergy generation, and sustainable farming practices.

Policy Reforms Needed to Scale Success Nationwide

The report identifies several structural weaknesses that continue to affect the sector. Collection rates remain low in many parts of the country, often ranging between 50% and 60%. Ageing collection vehicles, insufficient transfer stations, and limited disposal infrastructure have contributed to widespread illegal dumping.

The scale of the problem is striking. While official records showed 319 landfill sites across Uzbekistan in 2024, satellite monitoring identified 1,805 unauthorized dumpsites near roads, settlements, and agricultural land. These illegal disposal sites continue to create environmental and public health risks despite existing penalties.

To address these challenges, the report recommends a national roadmap focused on seven priorities: waste segregation at source, efficient collection and transport systems, circular economy development, stronger technical standards, greater private-sector participation, extended producer responsibility schemes, and regional waste management planning.

One major policy initiative already underway is the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which will gradually require manufacturers and importers to take responsibility for managing waste generated by their products. The government aims to recycle 1.2 million tonnes of plastic waste annually under upcoming reforms, creating new incentives for investment in recycling and resource recovery industries.

New Opportunities for Investors and Development Partners

The modernization of Uzbekistan's waste sector is opening significant opportunities for international development agencies, infrastructure investors, and private companies. The Akhangaran landfill has already helped catalyze two waste-to-energy initiatives. A landfill gas recovery project is operating at the former dump site, while a separate waste incineration facility is expected to begin operations in 2027.

For development partners, the project demonstrates how waste management investments can deliver multiple benefits, including climate mitigation, environmental protection, improved public health, and stronger urban services. It also offers a practical model for replication in other regions of Uzbekistan and across Central Asia.

For private-sector stakeholders, opportunities are emerging in waste collection, recycling, composting, logistics, waste-to-energy projects, environmental services, and public-private partnerships. However, investors will require stronger technical standards, predictable regulations, improved waste segregation, and transparent procurement systems to ensure project viability.

The report concludes that the Tashkent sanitary landfill should be viewed not as an endpoint but as the foundation of a broader transformation. Replicating the model across the country, strengthening institutional capacity, expanding recycling infrastructure, and encouraging private investment will be critical for turning waste into an economic resource. If these reforms are implemented successfully, Uzbekistan could emerge as a regional leader in sustainable waste management and circular economy development while improving environmental outcomes and supporting long-term economic growth.