173,000 residents and 470 tonnes of waste: how Astana staged a citywide cleanup

A cleanup at city scale

About 173,000 people took part in Astana’s environmental campaign, according to the city administration. A total of 2,430 organisations joined the work, which covered 3,400 courtyards and 180 parks and squares. Municipal services deployed 640 vehicles and removed 470 tonnes of waste.

More than collecting rubbish

Participants also planted about 2,000 trees and 1,900 shrubs. Roughly 1,000 municipal workers and 13 cultural institutions joined the campaign. Astana’s autumn environmental month has been under way since 12 September.

Measuring the lasting result

A mass cleanup can change the appearance of streets in a day, but its long-term value depends on what follows. Waste separation, reliable collection, care for young trees and everyday responsibility for shared spaces matter more than a single record. A useful next measure would be whether the volume of litter falls at the next citywide count.

Photo: Astana city administration.

Source: Astana city administration