"Can Uzbekistan solve its waste problem with Chinese incineration plants?", Global Voices, 24 October 2025

[...] Uzbekistan launched construction of its first waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in cooperation with China International CAMCE in the eastern Andijan province on July 7, 2025. [...] CAMCE will invest USD 140 million, bearing all the expenses. Operators will gain revenue through waste disposal fees and electricity sales.  

[...] there is a lack of transparency around the deals signed by the Uzbek government and Chinese investors and silence around the potential environmental and health hazards, which have not been acknowledged.

The most immediate concern regarding the WTEs is the transparency of the deals. Thus far, there is not much information about the conditions each side agreed to. [...]

[...] officials have not implemented any mechanisms to receive public feedback, complaints, or input [...].

Another major concern [...] potential environmental and public health impacts. Despite the Uzbek government’s best efforts to convince the public of WTE plants’ positive contribution to the environment, there is evidence suggesting they can also cause harm. There have been numerous studies linking old and poorly maintained incinerators to neoplasia, birth defects, infant mortality, and miscarriages.

Incinerating plastic is reported to release dioxins, furans, microplastics, and other persistent and hazardous chemical emissions that can evade filters and re-enter ecosystems and food chains. WTE can cause chemical pollution and create public health problems.