Almaty, the biggest city of Kazakhstan, has regularly implemented various environmental initiatives for many years. One of the initiatives is Free Market, which has already become the significant part of the urban ecoculture.
Free Market is a platform for sharing and swapping used things. You can de-hoard at the Free Market, give back what you do not use anymore, and find the thing you need, free of charge. It is a win-win situation for both parties. Besides, the thing itself can have a second chance instead of ending up in a landfill.
The Free Market in Almaty was launched in 2017. Now it is held every month. By the time of the publication, 39 Free Markets have been held.
“The first Free Market under my supervision was held in 2019. There were about 20 visitors, and now we have about 2,000,” said Kamila Akimbekova, eco-influencer, Free Market organiser. “Our project is a socially charitable one because we pursue two goals – environmental awareness and outreach.”
Consume less
According to Kamila Akimbekova, eco-activists want to draw public attention to the problem of overconsumption by means of the Free Market. She says that accessibility of mass markets has made consumption almost uncontrollable. People buy clothes, even if they are of poor quality. The life expectancy of such clothing is quite short. Moreover, people do not use most of the things they buy.
“Few people are aware of the fact that the textile industry is a significant contributor to the pollution of the environment,” Kamila said. “We speak not only of things ending up in landfills, piled up, which has a negative impact on the environment. But we also speak about the process of production, when dyes are used, when factories emit harmful substances into the atmosphere, consume much electricity. Mention may be made of low-wage labour in the third world countries.”
At the Free Market, eco-activists try to make people aware of the fact that it is better to buy high quality things, which will be really used. If a thing is not used, it can be handed out to other people, thus reducing the use of natural resources to produce unnecessary things.
What can be found at Free Market? Almost everything: toys, kids’ items, accessories, bags, bed linen, curtains, sports gear, dishes, domestic appliances, books and many others. The highest demand, according to the organisers, is for children’s toys, strollers, highchairs, etc. These things are swapped instantly. Footwear is also in high demand, it is taken fast.
The things that visitors bring are sorted out first, and then become available to other visitors. Not all things find their owners on the first try – some things always remain after Free Markets. According to Kamila, some packages remained after initial Free Markets, and she brought them to charity funds. Now, 2-3 tonnes of things remain and they need to be transported by a lorry.
Raw materials live twice
Aliya Salmenova, director, co-founder of Greenup.kz Public Foundation and eco-movement Recycle Birge, is also engaged in holding Free Markets. She is responsible for collection of recyclable materials. Over 23 tonnes of recyclable materials and over 10 tonnes of clothing have been collected for charity funds during eco-campaigns over these years.
“We have the longest list of recyclable materials that are accepted in Almaty. We accept 17 types of fractions: type 1, 2, 4, 5 plastic (digits mean the type of plastic – Editor’s note), solid and soft, waste paper, cardboard, aluminium, glass, including stained glass, tin cans, foam plastic, expired medications, e-waste, quicksilver-bearing waste, used vegetable oil,” said Salmenova.
Almaty residents bring plastic, waste paper and stained glass most often.
“Because no one else accepts those but us,” Aliya Salmenova said.
All types of recyclable materials are immediately passed to processers or craftsmen (Free Market supports 18 creative social projects). Craftsmen use bits and pieces of fabrics, old buttons, broken watches, household appliances, non-working umbrella mechanisms, etc.
“They make New Year’s toys, ornaments, décor items out of broken watches,” Salmenova said.
Moreover, there is always a separate container for parts of broken computers at the Free Market. Volunteer Ravil Nasifullin assembles working computers out of components. And then he gives them for free to the children in need. The Free Market generally supports four charitable organisations.
“The Kazakhs do not discard used bed linen, and keep it in piles for years… Bring it here!” Aliya said.
Animal shelters, according to her, take bed linen ‘willingly’. They make bandages, mats for their animals of it.
The list of what is accepted from participants of eco-campaigns is always extended.
Slowly but surely
Organisers of the Free Market want to introduce eco-habits and responsible consumption to daily lives of urban residents. Therefore, the organisation holds lectures at schools, universities, private companies, and city events.
“All ecologists share one goal – to make our activities unnecessary, people need to be more eco-friendly, more careful about their consumption, more responsible in making their choice. The other day one of the Free Market visitors complained that she sorted out things, brought them there, and then she had lots of them again. What does it mean? We need to reduce consumption, use resources reasonably,” Aliya Salmenova said.
She is convinced that Kazakhstanis need to be taught since kindergarten how to collect waste separately, how to reduce environmental footprint, how to consume responsibly. And children are the best motivators to parents, who also should get involved in the process.
Eco-activists have already noted that eco-thinking becomes a guideline for more and more people.
“At first environmental cleanup events (Recycle Birge has carried them out since 2017 – Editor’s note), the wider public would respond like that, ‘You have been paid by the akimat, so come over my place and clean it up.’ People simply did not understand why we would take part in cleanup events on our own initiative. Now they are aware of us, our activity has earned approval and support of urban residents – they come to join us at the events. This is one of the indicators that our society is prepared for nationwide introduction of environmental principles, all we need to do is to make some efforts,” Aliya Salmenova said.
Authorities started to change, as well: state bodies got interested in the Free Market project. They help us with information support, searching for locations for the events, and so on.
Another achievement of Almaty residents is that eco-activists from other towns of Kazakhstan have taken up the format of the Free Market.
“I consulted to some girls of Astana, Atyrau, Aktau, who also supported the idea and started to hold Free Markets in their towns. Campaigns are being held in Karaganda, Aktobe, Petropavlovsk, Shymkent. Last year, we created a nationwide Kazakhstan chat for those wishing to organise Free Markets in their towns. We are always open and willing to help others,” Kamila Akimbekova said.
Main photo: Marina Hegay