Kirov became the recycling capital: scientists, experts and students sought solutions for an environmentally friendly future.

      From November 18 to 19, 2025, Kirov served as the venue for the VII All-Russian Scientific and Practical Forum "Utilization of Production and Consumption Waste: Innovative Approaches and Technologies."

      The event, organized with the support of the Federal Environmental Operator (FSUE "FEO" — an enterprise of the state corporation Rosatom), brought together scientists, experts and government officials from dozens of regions of the country.

      The program included a plenary session, sectional meetings, presentations of scientific developments, as well as a large-scale intellectual game Zero Waste for students of leading Russian universities. The main theme of the forum was the recycling of industrial waste, the implementation of modern technologies and the creation of an efficient national system for their management.

      The central event was the plenary session "Recycling of Industrial Waste in Russia: Problems and Prospects." Its moderator was Doctor of Technical Sciences Tamara Ashikhmina, head of the biomonitoring scientific laboratory at the Institute of Biology of the Komi Science Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

      Participants discussed modern methods of neutralizing production waste and issues of scaling up the best Russian practices. Acting Director for Communications of FSUE "FEO" Marina Nikolaeva spoke about the Federal Environmental Operator's experience in eliminating accumulated environmental damage and in building a national system for handling waste of hazard classes I and II.

      "By building a national system for the management of waste of hazard classes I and II in Russia and implementing large-scale projects to eliminate accumulated environmental damage, the state corporation Rosatom and the Federal Environmental Operator always rely on the best domestic practices and the developments of our scientists. And only through dialogue with the scientific and expert community can we develop the most effective approaches to solving the tasks set before us by the state," she emphasized.

      Traditionally, the forum included the student intellectual game Zero Waste. Teams from Kirov, Saratov, Udmurtia, Kurgan, Irkutsk and Nizhny Novgorod worked on creating a strategy for the ecological restoration of an imaginary industrial city.

      The students analyzed sources of pollution, designed a waste management system, allocated resources and finally presented their solutions to the jury.

      "Six strong teams from leading universities in the country are taking part in the game, and already it is clear that these are young people with an engineering mindset capable of proposing real solutions. Formats like this help universities interact with each other, form professional connections and demonstrate the importance of projects in the field of recycling and the creation of ecotech parks," noted Tamara Ashikhmina.

      For the students, participation was not only a competition but also practical experience in the field of the circular economy.

      "The topic is relevant because there are old oil refineries in the country and accumulated damage that needs to be eliminated. Events like this help students develop environmental thinking and understand the real responsibility for finding solutions," shared Alina Lukasheva, a student of Irkutsk National Research Technical University.

      Within the forum, there were also sections dedicated to the environmental safety of technogenic territories, organizational and legal aspects of waste management, and technologies for processing organic and inorganic waste.