Abstract
The accumulation of plastic waste has become a concern, dramatised by its rapidly growing volume and negative consequences for the entire world, including Kazakhstan. In developed countries, numerous public and private initiatives aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals to achieve plastic recycling are being implemented. However, in developing countries and emerging economies, including the Central Asian region and Kazakhstan, a different situation arises: such initiatives are only just emerging or still in their early stages and require a comprehensive assessment. This review study examines the problem of plastic accumulation, focusing on post-consumer versus post-industrial plastic waste, and analyses the environmental impact of plastic waste. Statistical data on post-consumer plastic waste management, including collection, transportation, sorting, and recycling across various regions of Kazakhstan, as well as on the specific types of plastic waste present in both urban and remote areas, have been analysed. In a flow diagram, plastic waste processes are illustrated, including collection gaps, informal dumping and material loss, which collectively impede reintegration of waste into the closed recycling loop. An interdisciplinary approach to an advanced waste management system is needed to overcome barriers, including outdated collection infrastructure, sorting limitations, a public awareness gap, insufficient policy and regulatory frameworks, and incomplete evaluation of plastic waste generation. The section of the article also assesses innovative research and commercial initiatives currently being implemented by Kazakhstani scientists and commercial startups. These efforts mainly focus on the chemical and mechanical recycling of plastic waste to produce specialised materials and components for promoting sustainable waste management and environmental protection.