Through its programme “Turning Waste into Profit”, Eurasian Resources Group’s Kazakhstan operations turned some 88,000 tonne of waste into viable products in the first half of 2018, earning circa-$2.6 million in the process.

ERG’s programme is able to use 20 types of waste – generated from its activities – to manufacture new products, help address environmental issues and strengthen its bottom line, the company says.

Launched in 2017, the initiative allowed ERG to sell over 150,000 t of waste generated by its operations in Kazakhstan for subsequent processing into products such as noise insulation materials, refractory coating, polymers and substitutes for expensive coke and fluorspar.

“In doing so, the group has helped mitigate the adverse impact of waste disposal into landfills and generated a profit in excess of $3 million in 2017 alone,” ERG said.

Commenting on the programme, Ayan Bedelkhan, Head of Non-core Product Sales at ERG Commercial Centre LLP, a subsidiary of the group that presides over the sale of waste, said: “Addressing key environmental issues is a priority for ERG. Through ‘Turning Waste into Profit’, ERG is committed to managing waste in a responsible manner.

“At the same time, the sale of waste as recyclable materials has proved to be a profitable business. It also drives an increase in tax revenues in the regions that ERG sells waste to local companies which they sell as a processed, finished product.”

ERG’s Kazakhstan operations consist of coal, steel, steel raw materials and aluminium assets, among others.