Big city cleanup in Shymkent: how residents unite for cleanliness and ecology
19.08.2025 15:53:33 117.png)
On August 16, a large-scale improvement campaign was held in Shymkent as part of the Taza Kazakhstan project. The cleanup event brought together more than 3,100 city residents, and over 200 units of special equipment were involved in the work. As a result, more than 182 tons of garbage were collected and removed.
The event covered five districts of the city at once, and residents in each of them showed high activity. In the Abay district, 400 people with the support of 15 units of equipment came out to clean up — the result was 42 tons of waste removed. In the Al-Farabi district, 335 volunteers with the help of 22 machines collected 27 tons of garbage. In the Yenbekshinsky district, 411 participants worked, 33 units of equipment were involved, and almost 16 tons of waste were removed to landfills. The Karatau district distinguished itself with a particularly high result: 440 people with the help of 25 machines removed 45.9 tons. In the Turansky district, 426 participants and 36 units of equipment worked harmoniously, clearing the territory of 18.3 tons of garbage.
The clean-up was not limited to waste removal. The campaign included cutting down dead wood, cutting down old branches, mowing grass, whitewashing trees and dismantling old fences. General cleaning and landscaping work were carried out in public places and courtyards. Thus, the event acquired a comprehensive nature - it was aimed not only at maintaining cleanliness, but also at improving the urban environment.
According to the participants, such events provide an opportunity not only to make the city cleaner, but also to feel unity when people of different ages and professions work side by side. Many residents brought their children to the cleanup to show them an example of caring for nature and to teach them a responsible attitude towards the environment.
Compared to previous years, the scale of the current campaign has expanded significantly. For example, in 2022, less than two thousand citizens took part in similar events, and the volume of garbage collected was about 100 tons. In 2023, the activity of the population increased, and it was possible to collect about 150 tons of waste. But it was the 2024 cleanup that became a record-breaking one in both the number of participants and the volume of work.
This development shows that the environmental culture in the city is gradually strengthening. If earlier such actions were perceived more as a formal event, now they have become a tradition uniting residents. It is especially important that schoolchildren, students and youth organizations are joining the initiative. They not only participate in the cleanup, but also actively spread the ideas of environmental responsibility through social networks, thereby involving even more people.
Positive changes can also be noted in the organization of the process itself. Previously, events were often limited to local cleaning of individual areas, and equipment was used in a limited volume. Today, however, systemicity is visible: each district receives its own area of responsibility, modern equipment is used, and the entire process is more coordinated.
The support of local authorities also plays an important role. Public utilities provided the necessary resources, and district akimats took on the coordination of the work. This made it possible to avoid chaos and ensure high efficiency.
At the same time, experts emphasize that even such large-scale actions do not solve the problem of household waste at its root. This requires a comprehensive waste management system, including sorting, recycling and reducing their generation. However, clean-up days are important as a social tool: they help to form a habit of cleanliness in the population and show that every resident is able to influence the ecological state of the city.
It is interesting to note that the practice of clean-up days in Shymkent has a long tradition. Just ten years ago, such events were held in a small format and were perceived as an initiative of individual organizations or schools. Gradually, they turned into a mass movement. Today, "Taza Kazakhstan" has become a brand symbolizing environmental awareness and collective responsibility.
In addition, the current clean-up coincided with the active phase of summer improvement works. These days, greenery is being planted in the city, sidewalks and small architectural forms are being repaired. The combination of all these measures allows to significantly improve the appearance of the city and create a comfortable environment for its residents.
In the future, it is planned to expand the scale of such events. Representatives of the city authorities stated that clean-up days will be held regularly and will become part of the general environmental strategy of Shymkent. The possibility of involving businesses is also being considered - companies will be able to participate not only with their labor resources, but also finance the purchase of equipment or the organization of waste processing.
Thus, the clean-up day held on August 16 became a notable event in the life of Shymkent. It showed that the ecology and cleanliness of the city is not only the task of public utilities, but also the common responsibility of all its residents. Comparison with previous years clearly demonstrates positive dynamics: the number of participants is growing, the volume of work is increasing, and along with this, the environmental culture of society.
With each such event, Shymkent becomes cleaner, more comfortable and more modern, and the city residents themselves become more united around the idea of caring for their city.