The only complex for processing worn-out tires in the Vitebsk region was opened in Novopolotsk
– The press wrote a few years ago that Novopolotsk was the dirtiest city in Belarus. We disagree with this and decided to change this perception. We started implementing a number of measures to minimize the harmful impact on the environment, and in recent years, we have improved the indicators several times, – said Dmitry Demidov, member of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, Chairman of the Novopolotsk City Executive Committee.
Serious work on the collection and sorting of solid municipal waste began in 2010, when UP "Biomechplant of Household Secondary Resources" started operating in Novopolotsk. Efforts were made to accustom the population to separate waste collection. However, as Dmitry Vladimirovich noted, it is difficult to reach an agreement with adults with established habits, while children and young people respond well to all initiatives. The launch of this complex is another measure in the fight against environmental pollution.
The investment project is included in the State Program "One District – One Project," the key message of which is the restoration of economic growth, the creation of import-substituting industries, and the prevention of people's outflow from the provinces to large cities. The complex has created 23 new jobs.
Design and survey work for the complex began at the end of 2020. Today, it has been commissioned. The actual cost of the project amounted to more than 6.5 million rubles. The payback period is 7 years.
– This complex is the most significant and most expensive at our enterprise, it consists of two lines of equipment. We plan to manufacture rubber tiles, paving stones, and curbs of various sizes, shapes, and colors here. Such products are durable, trauma-safe, frost-resistant, do not fade in the sun, and have a long service life. They can be used both outdoors and indoors, – said Sergey Velyugo, Director of UP "Biomechplant of Household Secondary Resources".
There is a problem with the sale of worn-out tires in the Vitebsk region. The nearest similar enterprises are located in the Grodno, Mogilev regions and in Minsk. Now all enterprises of the Vitebsk region will be able to hand over worn-out tires for recycling at the Novopolotsk biomechplant.
– If an enterprise brings tires to our recycling complex using its own transport, the cost for them will be zero, meaning the costs will only be for delivery. Today, our competitors accept them under different conditions, – noted Sergey Nikolaevich.
The volume of tire waste in the Vitebsk region in 2022 amounted to 7300 tons, the complex in Novopolotsk is designed to process 3300 tons, so there will be no problems with raw material supply at the complex, the enterprise management is confident.
Before the grand opening of the complex, an exhibition of products from the biomechplant was organized at the Novopolotsk City Executive Committee, including pilot samples manufactured at the new complex. As Sergey Velyugo noted, the enterprise's products are in high demand in the market, and are also oriented towards export. The plant already has established partners in the Russian Federation.
– This facility is unique for the Vitebsk region and solves not only an environmental but also an economic problem. It involves the creation of new jobs and serves as an example of how waste can be collected, sorted, processed, and used to produce new import-substituting products in one place, – said Andrey Romashko, Deputy Minister of Housing and Communal Services of the Republic of Belarus, at the opening of the complex.