Uzbekistan: Representatives of the Agency for Waste Management and Development of Circular Economy (FAO) and Uzbekistan’s cement industry discussed prospects for using cement kilns to treat certain categories of hazardous waste at a meeting in Tashkent on 23 September 2026. Uzbekistan’s existing capacity for neutralising and permanently disposing of hazardous waste is reportedly limited. However, participants were presented with Azerbaijan’s experience as an example. With FAO support, controlled trials were conducted there to use cement kilns to treat pesticide waste.
A potential pilot project in Uzbekistan would require preliminary work on regulatory requirements, permitting procedures, the availability of necessary infrastructure and sources of financing. In addition, individual cement plants could undergo technical assessments to determine whether they are suitable for participation.
“This roundtable is a first step towards assessing the possibilities, identifying interested cement plants and establishing the technical, regulatory and environmental requirements that would need to be met before any pilot operation could be considered,” said Arthur Shamilov, FAO agriculture specialist and lead technical officer of the project.
A specific list of plants for a potential pilot has not yet been determined. It is also not yet known which types of waste could be treated or in what quantities. Environmental monitoring of such operations remains a separate issue.