Kazakhstan has put forward a plan for a tax targeting packaging that harms the environment, as revealed by Mazhilis deputy Azhar Sagandykova at the IX Eurasian Business Forum Green Energy & Waste Recycling Forum.

The Times of Central Asia has reported that the tax would focus on materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, plastic bags, and other PE-based containers that are challenging to recycle or non-biodegradable.

Sagandykova was quoted by the news agency as saying: “It is time to seriously consider introducing a green tax on non-environmentally friendly packaging and directing the funds collected towards the development of waste recycling.

“The existing Environmental Code contains a number of vulnerabilities and does not cover all aspects of waste management. Therefore, within the framework of a working group in the Mazhilis, we intend to review the systemic approach to solving this problem.”

The United Nations Development Programme reports that Kazakhstan generates around 4.5 million tonnes of waste each year, with 80% coming from municipal sources and 20% from industries, healthcare, and other sectors.

Only approximately 26% of this waste is recycled, a statistic verified by Zhomart Aliyev, Kazakhstan’s deputy minister of ecology and natural resources, at the forum.

Sagandykova also pushed for a specific law on waste management to clarify duties, outline infrastructure needs, and provide government incentives.

During the coming months, domestic deputies will collect input from businesses, environmental groups, and civil society to shape a draft bill for discussion in late 2025.

Aliyev explained that the government is working on a detailed waste management strategy, excluding radioactive waste, which falls under the Atomic Energy Agency’s authority.

Commissioned by the country's prime minister, this strategy is expected to be finalised by September, when a decision will be made on whether a separate waste management law is required.