Moscow consolidates its multibillion-dollar trash collection business

The Moscow region is consolidating its trash collection, and a company called “RT Invest” (co-owned by Rostec) has won a 109.1-billion-ruble ($1.8-billion) procurement contract to pick up 60 percent of the garbage around the capital. RT Invest also plans to build four new waste incineration plants outside the city. Each facility is expected to cost roughly 31 billion rubles ($503.4 million). Another company called “Charter” (owned by Attorney General Yuri Chaika’s son, Igor) won a 34.9-billion-ruble ($566.6 million) contract to collect trash in Moscow’s Noginsk area.

Beginning next year, trash collection in Moscow’s municipalities will be restricted to companies that win public tenders. The entire Moscow region has awarded roughly 187.7 billion rubles ($3.1 billion) in procurement deals. Before the capital instituted this process, more than 300 different companies were contracted throughout the region to pick up and process garbage.

Since the beginning of 2018, residents in towns around Moscow have protested against over-capacity local landfills that are leaking air pollution. The biggest demonstrations have been in Volokolamsk. Police have detained protesters and raided the offices of local officials who have issued permits for their rallies.