A Waste-Free Future: Winners of the “CYCLELAB: Ecology of the Future” Competition Awarded in Kazakhstan

A ceremonial award event for the winners of the student project competition “CYCLELAB: Ecology of the Future” took place in Astana. The competition was organized by the Association of Secondary Raw Material Recyclers of Kazakhstan and Zhasyl Damu JSC, with the co-organization of the Sustainable Development Center of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University as part of the “Taza Kazakhstan” environmental campaign. Bank CenterCredit served as the генеральный sponsor. The honorary guest of the event was Vice Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Zhomart Shiyapovich Aliyev, who took part in the award ceremony.

The competition brought together college and university students aged 16 to 30 from Astana, Akmola, and Karaganda regions. Participants presented projects in six key areas: waste recycling technologies, solutions for separate waste collection, smart sorting systems, eco-friendly packaging design, digital tools for accounting and logistics, and environmental education initiatives.

Following the selection process, the strongest teams advanced to the finals, presenting innovative and practical solutions in waste management. The total prize fund amounted to 3,700,000 tenge. The winners received the following cash prizes:

1st place – 1,500,000 tenge
Project “ReLife” (Astana Medical University team: Dias Egimbayev and Abylai Kumisbek).
ReLife is an innovative ESG project focused on recycling medical plastic waste into construction materials. It addresses the growing issue of medical waste and its costly and environmentally harmful disposal. The project creates a closed-loop system: hospital → waste processing → construction materials → hospital improvement, reducing costs and environmental impact while introducing circular economy principles into the healthcare system.

2nd place – 600,000 tenge
Project “DualValue Carbon” (Suleimen Bakytov, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University).
This project presents a PET → C → Se/C, Na–Se battery technology that converts PET plastic into a porous carbon matrix used in sodium-selenium batteries. It transforms plastic waste into functional carbon for energy storage, improving sustainability and efficiency of next-generation batteries.

2nd place – 600,000 tenge
Project “EcoKids” (Zhasulan Toleubekov, Nazarbayev University).
EcoKids is an adaptive educational platform for children featuring curated environmental cartoons, videos, podcasts, and learning materials. Its goal is to foster environmental awareness and a culture of care for nature in a simple and accessible way.

3rd place – 500,000 tenge
Project “Coil Soil” (Karaganda Buketov National Research University team: Yulia Kulikova and Violetta Gapich).
This project focuses on recycling ash from private households and plant waste into organo-mineral compost. It addresses the accumulation of ash and seasonal green waste, turning them into fertilizer to improve urban soils and landscaping.

3rd place – 500,000 tenge
Project “QarEnergy” (L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University team: Samira Akhmetova, Aidana Akparova, Gulnaz Ydyrys).
QAR ENERGY is an innovative system for generating electricity from the temperature difference between snow and ambient heat sources. The project addresses the costly disposal of urban snow and associated CO₂ emissions by turning snow into a source of sustainable energy.

“Today, we see that the youth of Kazakhstan are actively engaged in solving environmental challenges and offering concrete, technology-driven solutions in waste management and sustainable development. Such initiatives foster a new environmental mindset and lay the foundation for a green economy,” noted Nurzhan Kabdoldanov, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Zhasyl Damu JSC.

The “CYCLELAB: Ecology of the Future” competition has become an important platform for identifying and supporting young talents capable of contributing to the development of environmental culture and sustainable practices in Kazakhstan. The presented projects demonstrate strong potential for implementation and may become part of real solutions in waste management.

Zhasyl Damu JSC, together with its partners, plans to continue developing such initiatives by expanding participation geography and strengthening cooperation with educational institutions and businesses. The key mission is to foster an environmentally responsible society and support innovative solutions aimed at a sustainable future for Kazakhstan.