- Plastic pollution is being minimized at a frequently visited mountain outside Almaty, Kazakhstan
- The UNEP project is boosting infrastructure and recycling for remote areas
- Survey results show plastic pollution is on the rise in mountain areas
Almaty, 3 June 2025 – The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is helping Kazakhstan tackle waste at a popular mountain area, as new survey results show plastic pollution is growing, even in some of the world’s most remote regions.
The Plastic Waste in Remote and Mountainous Areas project, run by the UNEP-hosted Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions, has introduced new waste collection points for plastic, glass, paper, and aluminium in the popular Ayusai mountain area near Almaty, visited by up to 3,000 people a day during the summer.
A waste compressor has also been installed at the Ayusai visitors’ centre to reduce waste volume and create local employment. Furthermore, with support from the project, a waste collection hub has been set up in Almaty to receive plastic waste from Ayusai and other areas. The centre now receives up to 500kg of plastic waste daily, while helping to connect the remote Ayusai site with urban recycling infrastructure.
“Mountainous areas like Ayusai are often left behind when it comes to waste infrastructure,” said Aidai Kurmanova, Head of UNEP’s Central Asia Office, in Almaty. “This project shows how local action can make a real difference and heal scars on one of Kazakhstan’s touristic natural treasures.”
Plastic pollution reaches new heights
Mountain regions, such as the Ayusai mountain area near Almaty, are especially vulnerable to plastic pollution due to high transport costs, harsh climatic conditions and poorer infrastructure compared to urban areas — hindering effective waste management.
Survey results presented in Kazakhstan today by BRS reveal how plastic pollution is reaching high altitudes. Released ahead of World Environment Day, the survey of 146 mountain guides and snow sport professionals found that 63% believe plastic pollution has worsened in mountainous areas. Nearly 80% of those surveyed said they had seen plastic bottles and packaging littering in the wild.
In addition to Kazakhstan, the BRS project aims to prevent and minimize plastic pollution in 10 other countries, covering almost every continent. It is financed by the Governments of France, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway, as well as the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the Norwegian Retailer’s Environment Fund.
This initiative comes as the world prepares to mark World Environment Day 2025 on June 5 under the theme to “End Plastic Pollution”. In 2025, the world is expected to consume 516 million tonnes of plastics. Only 9% of all plastics produced are actually being recycled globally.
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For more information and to arrange interviews, please contact:
Alejandro Laguna, Head of Communication, UNEP Europe Office, laguna@un.org, +41 788361980.
Vlastimil Samek, Head of the UN Information Office in Almaty, samek@un.org, +7 701 963 9711.
