«Paper landing troop»: story of how 4.4 tons of waste paper at AlES JSC turned into a mission of saving the planet
Imagine: 4.4 tons of paper is the weight of two SUVs or 4400 reams of office paper. But for AlES, this figure is not just a load, but a symbol of awareness. In 2024, the company’s employees carried out a truly environmentally friendly operation called “Paper Landing Troop”, having collected 4.4 tonnes of waste paper. This is not just recycling – it is a contribution to the future, where there is a value for every tree, drop of water and kilowatt of energy.
AlES JSC has been proving the fact that caring for nature is not a trend, but a part of its philosophy for several years now. The waste paper collection campaign is a logical extension of the “Give Battery a Second Life” initiative. They jointly create an ecosystem of responsible consumption.
– “We are not just collecting paper – we are changing the way of thinking, says Denis Okhman, a leading engineer at the Western Heating Complex. – Our goal is to make nature care as ordinary as smiling to the loved ones”.
Figures that breathe:
4.4 tons of waste paper represent:
– 75 trees saved (1 ton = 17 trees);
– 132,000 liters of water saved;
– a reduction in CO2 emissions by 7.5 tons (recycling paper requires 60% less energy than producing new paper).
But the most important thing is the thousands of office documents, boxes and newspapers that have found a second life rather than ending up in landfills, becoming raw materials for books, packaging or even building materials.
Why is this critical? Kazakhstan, like the rest of the world, is facing climate challenges. According to environmentalists:
– Paper waste accounts for up to 40 per cent of the rubbish in landfills;
– 1 million hectares of forest are cut down annually for paper – that’s three times the area of Almaty.
– “Recycling is not an option, but a necessity, Saltanat Zhanakhmetova, general manager of the Environmental Protection Department, emphasized. – Each kilogram of waste paper saves not only trees, but also reduces the climate impact”.
In the 19th century, Kazakh educator Shokhan Ualikhanov said, “The world is imperfect, and our task is to make it better”. These words are embodied today in the simple activities of AlES JSC employees.
– “Before, I never thought about where the order boxes go”, shares manager Svetlana Yermolina, an environmental engineer at CHPP-3. – Now even my kids know: paper is not rubbish, but a resource”.
“The paper landing troop” is just a stage of a larger strategy. The 4.4 tons is not about weight. It’s about the 75 trees that will be left to absorb CO2. It’s about the 132 tons of water that will flood the steppes. About the awareness that goes from offices to families, and thence onto society.
AlES reminds: the environmentally friendly future is not created by popular slogans, but by daily decisions. And while some argue about global warming, others simply act – sheet by sheet, ton by ton. Join the Paper Landing Troop! After all, even a receipt that is sent for recycling is your mark on the history of the planet.