The REO summarized the results on commissioning of TCO utilization capacities for 2019-2024

The Russian Ecological Operator (REO) summarized on Thursday, January 30, the results of capacity commissioning for the entire period of implementation of the federal project "Integrated System of Solid Municipal Waste Management".

Thus, for 2019-2024, the regions have created 295 solid municipal waste (MSW) facilities with the capacity to treat 23 million tons and utilization - 7.5 million tons. It is specified that the data are relevant as of December 31, 2024.

"The reform of the TKO handling industry started in 2019. During this time, 295 facilities were introduced as part of the implementation of the federal project "Integrated system of TKO" of the national project "Ecology". For comparison, only 151 facilities were put into operation before 2019. And at different times, some of them in the 1980s. A number of those facilities that were operational before 2019 will be phased out before 2030 as inefficient and obsolete. In total, there are 446 waste processing and sorting facilities in the country," said Denis Butsaev, Director General of REO.

Among the 295 new facilities, 148 are for treatment, 81 for utilization, 24 for disposal, and 42 are complex. These include 40 sites for treatment, 36 for utilization and neutralization, and 11 sites for placement.

"The capacities of the facilities commissioned under the federal project are: for treatment - 23.2419 million tons (plan - 23.0681), for utilization - 7.5688 million tons (plan - 7.4042), for disposal - 6.1491 million tons (plan - 5.8333)," added Evgeny Karelov, deputy general director for regional development and infrastructure of the REO.

Of these, in 2024, 32 facilities for the treatment of solid waste, nine for treatment, 10 for utilization, six for disposal, seven for integrated facilities (six treatment sites, five for utilization and neutralization, five for disposal) will be commissioned. The capacity of the facilities commissioned in 2024 is 1.7928 million tons - for treatment, 0.7706 million tons - for utilization, 1.4878 million tons - for placement.

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On the same day, it was reported that the REO, together with the Ministry of Natural Resources and State Duma deputies, are working on amendments to the current regulation. The amendments, if adopted during the spring session, will oblige regional TCO operators to equip container sites and monitor their cleanliness.

In addition, in December 2024 REO made a proposal to oblige drivers of garbage trucks to photograph container sites after waste collection. The Ministry of Natural Resources told Izvestia that REO finalized the FGIS UTCO in terms of displaying photos on the collection of TKO from the places of their accumulation on the instructions of the government.

Prior to that, on December 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that 242 objects of accumulated environmental damage had been eliminated in Russia within the framework of the national project "Ecology". This number included 157 large landfills. The territory of the objects was reclaimed, which, in turn, made the lives of more than 20 million people more comfortable and safer, the head of state added.