The challenge of doing good: promotion of recycling in Almaty through civic community initiatives
Aliya Tskhay a*, Nazilya Kulpeshova b
a University of St Andrews, College Gate, St Andrews, Scotland, UK
b Independent researcher
*Email: aliya.tskhay@gmail.com
Nazilya Kulpeshova: nazya9834@gmail.com
https://doi.org/10.29258/CAJSCR/2024-R1.v3-1/59-73.eng
April 30, 2024
Abstract
Recycling is one of the key components in reduction of carbon emissions and improving environmental conditions, especially in the urban context. In Central Asia, the legislation and infrastructure necessary for waste management is still under development. Thus, the knowledge gap and public awareness campaigns are mostly done at the grassroots level. This paper looks at the case of recycling promotion through civic community initiatives that also have a charitable component in Almaty. It explores the ethical considerations that are being entangled with the introduction of recycling culture in the city and is grounded in the literature on civil society, environmental ethics and social entrepreneurship. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with organizers of recycling fairs and NGOs working on recycling. The paper reveals that by appealing to the ethical considerations of people to “do good” and contribute to charitable cause, the organizers of the recycling fair also demonstrate the effects of over-consumerism, ways of doing waste management, and educate about reuse and upcycle culture. The single case of Darmarka in Almaty present a limitation of the study. Therefore, a more in-depth research on the organisation of Darmarka events in other cities in Kazakhstan and CIS, as well as on similar initiatives in other Central Asian countries would be beneficial in the future. This is an important contribution in understanding what challenges and opportunities exist in promotion of recycling in Central Asia, that can be useful to national governments, experts, and international organizations working in this area.
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For citation: Tskhay, A., Kulpeshova, N. (2024). The challenge of doing good: Promotion of recycling in Almaty through civic community initiatives. Central Asian Journal of Sustainability and Climate Research. https://doi.org/10.29258/CAJSCR/2024-R1.v3-1/59-73.eng
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