Circular economy. Turn waste into income!

Organizers: Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation

Venue: the city of Kazan, IEC KAZAN EXPO, Hall 6–7

Time: May 18, 14:00–15:20

Moderators:

Lugovoi Andrey Konstantinovich, Member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption Enforcement, Chairman of the Council of the RF Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the Development of the Circular Economy and Ecology;

Kovalenko Maria Aleksandrovna, Head of the Computerization of Waste Management Division under the State Policy and Regulation in Waste of Production and Consumption Management Department, Russian Ministry of Natural Resources.

Speakers:

Tetenkin Dmitriy Dmitrievich, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation;

Yousef Hasan Halavi, Secretary General of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, ICCIA;

Litvinenko Sergey Aleksandrovich, Chairman of the Board, Union of Waste Processing Enterprises, Yekaterinburg;

Antonova Irina Ilgizovna, Vice-Rector for Innovation and Project Activity, Kazan Innovative University, named after V.G.Timiryasov, Private Educational Institution of Higher Education;

Anna Meleshina, Member of the Management Board, Director for Corporate Relations and Sustainable Business Development, Magnit, PAO;

Andrey Gutorov, Advisor to the General Director for coordination with foreign partners, United Chemical Company Uralchim, AO.

Description

Dmitry Tetenkin, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation, shared the tasks facing the Ministry and the country. By 2030, it is planned to achieve 100% treatment of municipal solid waste and achieve at least 2 times the level of waste disposal. Strategies for achieving the set goals include: establishment of new infrastructure (since 2016, capacities for about 16 million tons have been developed, and for the disposal of 5.5 million tons), the creation of a regulatory framework (prerequisites creation for the emergence of demand in resources), the implementation of support measures acting both as direct (grants) and indirect (development of a green financing mechanism).

The speaker stressed the need to create a federal law on the circular economy. The Ministry of Nature took responsibility for developing of this law.

In order to achieve green economy, several basic prerequisites are needed: the adequate political program, good infrastructure and new culture in respect of this issue. It is also necessary to achieve cooperation regarding all these aspects.

Today, despite the increased interest in the alternative economy, many companies have very little reflection of sustainable development indicators. Private companies lack the necessary knowledge and skills, as well as understanding of the unprecedented level of cooperation required between investors, science, business and government. The innovative potential of enterprises is not fully used in the transition to a circular economy.

The strategic goal was set in the Republic of Tatarstan, to transform the region by 2050 into a territory with a favorable environmental situation and a health-improving ecosystem, where business operates on the principles of effective sustainable development, and the most beneficial conditions are created for the life and well-being of current and future generations.

In 2019, Magnit Company formulated its sustainable development strategy by 2025: the 50% reduction of the amount of food waste, and 30% reduction of CO₂ emissions figure.

An average plant for the production of phosphate fertilizers can generate about 1 million tons of phosphogypsum waste per year. No other than annual storage of such volume will cost almost 200 million rubles.

The speakers paid attention to the problems with the storage of phosphogypsum, which are experienced by almost all countries which produce phosphate fertilizers in their territory (Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, etc.). With the help of phosphogypsum, you can solve the problems caused by global warming. This ameliorant can solve three tasks simultaneously: restore soil fertility, increase land yield and prevent further accumulation of phosphogypsum dumps. But speaking of application of this ameliorant in agriculture, there are some difficulties. One of them is: the absence of possibility for long-term storage of the ameliorant by the agricultural facilities, absence of specialized equipment for its application in soil, as well as for uniform mixing it with the soil. All this significantly reduces the profitability of melioration with phosphogypsum.