According to the Bureau of National Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, by the end of 2023, approximately 120 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) had been generated across over 3200 landfills in the country. About 4.5 million tons are generated annually, of which only about 15% are recycled. The accumulation of both unsorted and sorted waste poses significant environmental risks, primarily through the generation of methane, a greenhouse gas that is 28 times more dangerous than carbon dioxide in contributing to the planet’s greenhouse effect over a century and 84 times more effective over a 20-year timeframe. The objective of this research is to examine the physicochemical composition, as well as the physical and thermal-chemical properties, of municipal solid waste from six cities in Kazakhstan: Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Aktobe, Karaganda, and Ust-Kamenogorsk. Unlike existing studies, this study has a uniform waste sample, which includes the complete emptying of dozens of containers from different areas of the cities under consideration. Thus, the average composition of solid waste across the cities was maintained. Analysis of the physicochemical composition was conducted for both unsorted and sorted municipal solid waste from all cities, determining the total and analytical moisture content, ash content, and volatile matter, as well as the higher and lower calorific values. The calorific value of unsorted waste by city was as follows, in kJ/kg: Astana,8850.37; Almaty, 9244.57; Atobe, 9596.41; Shymkent, 9425.48; Karaganda, 8902.8; Ust-Kamenogorsk, 9669.07. The calorific value of sorted waste was as follows, in kJ/kg: Astana, 11,922.79; Almaty, 11,692.31; Atobe, 11,913.13; Shymkent, 12,494.38; Karaganda, 11,671.92; Ust-Kamenogorsk, 12,462.52. The efficiency of sorting was estimated as the first stage of MSW processing. The efficiency factor of the manual sorting process in practice was 0.4–0.8. The results obtained enable the evaluation of technologies for the effective management of municipal solid waste and facilitate experimental investigations into semi-industrial pyrolysis, combustion, plasma processing, and composting facilities.

The results of laboratory studies carried out to identify the possibility and effectiveness of technologies for the complex recycling of components of flue gases and wastewater from thermal power plants and industrial boilers are presented. The following factors were investigated: the degree of saturation of water solutions with carbon dioxide, the efficiency of using these solutions for the regeneration of cation exchangers, the properties of regeneration solutions intended for the regeneration of cation exchange filters prepared using components of flue gases obtained from the combustion of organic fuel in the laboratory by saturating water of various compositions, the degree of saturation of condensate and waste water with components of flue gases, as well as the degree of regeneration of cation exchangers with such regeneration solutions. After research in the laboratory, a laboratory installation was created in an industrial environment to determine the properties of solutions obtained from wastewater and flue gases obtained after production processes at a power plant. The technologies were developed for the complex recycling of flue gases and waste water from thermal power plants with the production of carbon dioxide with a purity of 99.9%, technical nitrogen with a purity of 95%, special solutions for the regeneration of cation exchangers in water purification plants of industrial enterprises. The results obtained make it possible to minimize the volume of emissions into the atmosphere and the volume of waste water from thermal power plants

Municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal is one of the areas of sustainability development of modern countries including the Republic of Kazakhstan. Annually, more than 4 million tons of MSW are generated, and this amount continues to grow. Additionally, approximately 120 million tons of waste have already accumulated in landfills across the country. It is essential to select an MSW disposal technology that is environmentally friendly, minimizes the generation of more hazardous waste, and maximizes energy efficiency. Ideally, the technology should not only reduce energy consumption but also generate energy and valuable by-products that have market demand. The aim of this study is to conduct experimental research to evaluate the efficiency and environmental impact of incinerating both unsorted and sorted municipal solid waste. As a result of the experiment, the volumes of flue gases and the concentrations of harmful substances produced by the combustion of both unsorted and sorted waste were determined. Additionally, an analysis of the slag and ash generated from the combustion of sorted MSW was conducted. The obtained results enable the development of a waste-free technological scheme for a plant designed for the complete utilization of municipal solid waste.