Ilham Aliyev attended the opening ceremony of the municipal solid waste sorting factory in Balakhani

President Ilham Aliyev has attended an opening ceremony of a solid waste sorting plant in Balakhani.

First, the President reviewed the operation of the pnat in the control room.

Minister of Economic Development Shahin Mustafayev said that the plant was built to sort household waste and develop the recycling business. It is the first pilot project in this area in the country. The annual capacity of the plant, which operates modern equipment, is 200,000 tons. The effective operation of the new plant will save natural resources and energy and reduce the environmental impact.

It was noted that as a result of waste segregation at the enterprise, the materials suitable for recycling would be determined and the total volume of wastes would reduce, which will facilitate the emergence of a market of cheap raw materials and expand the scope of recycling in the country.

The President was also briefed on the work done in the area of waste management. It was noted that after the Balakhani landfill for the disposal of municipal waste was transferred to the “Clean City” Open Joint-Stock Company in late 2009, the burning and smoke pollution of the territory were quickly stopped, compacting work carried out and the required infrastructure created. As a result, the impact of wastes on the environment was significantly reduced. Monitoring shows a decrease in the number of heavy metals in the water and on the surface and chemical compounds in the air. The purpose of the work done in four years and to be carried out in the future is to turn Balakhani into a landfill meeting international health and safety requirements.

It was indicated that in early 2012, in order to cleanse and disinfect the dump-trucks entering the Balakhani landfill, a four-slot washing and disinfection unit was commissioned, serving more than 400 vehicles per day.

It was noted that in order to prevent the discharge of municipal solid waste generated in Baku and suburban settlements onto unofficial dumping grounds, handling points are to be established in Khazar, Garadagh and Surakhani districts. The wastes carried from these points will be sorted, the materials suitable for recycling separated from the general mass and delivered to processing plants, while other waste will be compacted and carried to the plant in large-sized trucks. This will help save transportation costs and fuel and reduce hazardous emissions.

It was noted that work continues on the "Integrated Solid Waste Management" project implemented by the World Bank and the Government of Azerbaijan. According to the project, a 20-year strategy for solid waste management in Baku has been prepared. Under the project, more than 360 tons of waste was processed from 41 illegal waste sites and treated at the Balakhani landfill.

President Ilham Aliyev also reviewed the office building of the Balakhani plant for sorting household waste. It was noted that the plant would operate in three shifts and provide employment to 172 people.

The President praised the work done at the plant and gave relevant instructions and recommendations.