Waste management
GRI 3–3, 306–2
Russian Railways views efficient waste management as a prerequisite for transitioning to the circular economy. In the long run, the Company seeks to minimise waste sent to landfills by increasing its processing.
Production and consumption waste
GRI 306–3, 306–4, 306–5
In 2024, Russian Railways generated 1.468 mt of production and consumption waste, of which 0.056 mt was disposed of or decontaminated by the Company’s units.
In 2024, the share of production and consumption waste sent to be buried amounted to 11.7%, which is in line with the 2023 performance and 1.1% above the innovative scenario of Russian Railways’ Environmental Strategy (the target for 2024 is 12.8%).
The Russian Railways Group’s processes result in production and consumption waste of various hazard classes.
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Structure of waste generation by hazard class in the reporting year
In 2024, we approved a Roadmap for Implementing Comprehensive Measures to Control and Maintain the Railway Infrastructure Area in Accordance with Sanitary and Epidemiological Legislation Requirements (No. 925 dated 21 May 2024), as well as Russian Railways’ Order No. 3339/r dated 27 December 2024 On Improving Control Over Maintenance of Railway Infrastructure Area and Response when Instances of Pollution by External Sources are Identified.
We approved the fourth edition of the Russian Railways Group’s Production and Consumer Waste Catalogue (No. TsBT‑35 dated 21 March 2024).
Together with the Research Institute for Digitalisation, Automation and Telecommunications in the Railway Industry, in 2024 the Company focused on developing Russian Railways’ Production and Consumption Waste Management Concepts, relying on the principles of circular economy.
Around 85% of the waste generated by Russian Railways is decontaminated, reused or recycled. Most of it (ferrous and non‑ferrous scrap metals and used petroleum products) is handled by waste processing professionals. In addition, waste is disposed of and decontaminated in accordance with the classes 1–4 waste management licence obtained by Russian RailwaysNo. L020‑00113‑77/00114264 dated 21 August 2012.
In 2024, Russian Railways generated 1.468 kt of production and consumption waste:
- Hazard class 1 – 0.1543 t;
- Hazard class 2 – 0.1498 t;
- Hazard class 3 – 108,160 t;
- Hazard class 4 – 171,940 t;
- Hazard class 5 – 1,187,850 t.
As part of agreement between Russian Railways and the Russian Environmental Operator No. 152 dated 16 November 2022, we carried out work to organise a system for handling production and consumption waste generated in our production and economic activities in line with circular economy principles.
Waste management
| Hazard class of waste | Disposed of at the Company’s own facilities, kt | Transferred to third parties for disposal, kt |
|---|---|---|
| Hazard class 3 | 0.049 | 22.916 |
| Hazard class 4 | 1.005 | 7.527 |
| Hazard class 5 | 50.663 | 1,163.104 |
| Hazard class of waste | Decontaminated at the Company’s own facilities, kt | Transferred to third parties for decontamination, kt | Transfer of MSW to regional operators, kt | Transfer of waste for burial (except MSW), kt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazard class 1 | 0 | 0.139 | 0 | 0 |
| Hazard class 2 | 0.006 | 0.059 | 0 | 0 |
| Hazard class 3 | 4.209 | 95.996 | 0 | 0.048 |
| Hazard class 4 | 0.052 | 48.515 | 103.441 | 13.265 |
| Hazard class 5 | 0 | 1.064 | 45.786 | 16.989 |
We are progressively implementing a policy to foster sustainable waste management practices relying on circular economy principles. In 2024, we took various steps to increase the share of reused or recycled waste.
The thermal neutralisation facility of the Research and Production Centre for the Environmental Protection located at the Tagul railway station decontaminated 59,786 used wooden sleepers, or 4.19 kt of production waste.
Faustovo, Yanaul and Podvoloshnaya railway stations operate facilities to recycle reinforced concrete sleepers into crushed aggregate for construction and clean scrap reinforcement steel. In 2024, we processed 38,844 reinforced concrete sleepers.
The reporting year saw a cogeneration unit at the Chernyakhovsk railway station of the Kaliningrad Railway consume hard fuel made of 26,710 wooden rails, generating 3,630 Gcal of heat and saving 493,210 cu m of natural gas.
The Ukladochny, Perm‑Sortirovochnaya, Tulun, Smolensk, and Reshetnikovo railway stations operate five disposal units for industrial rubber products. In 2024, the units recycled 610 t of waste, producing 429 t of rubber granules and 12,000 sq m of rubber flooring.
Russian Railways operates facilities to handle railway‑specific waste, including wooden and reinforced concrete sleepers, rubber waste products, and oil‑containing waste. The Company is also implementing electronic document management and replacing mercury‑containing lamps with environmentally friendly, energy‑efficient lighting solutions, among other initiatives.
An example of how we implement circular economy principles is the processing of rubber products at five technology lines located at the Ukladochny railway station of the West‑Siberian Railway, the Perm‑Sortirovochnaya railway station of the Sverdlovskaya Railway, the Tulun railway station of the East‑Siberian Railway, the Smolensk station of the Moscow Railway, and the Reshetnikovo station of the October Railway.
Russian Railways’ passenger transportation business unit implements standard solutions for separate waste accumulation by engaging cleaning and outsourcing companies.
By Russian Railways’ Order No. 103/r dated 17 January 2024, the Standard Cleaning Technology for Railway Station Complexes of the Railway Station Directorate was approved to replace the previously existing one, which strengthens responsibility for mixing different types of secondary materials with unsorted solid waste collected from litter bins and introduces penalty sanctions against cleaning companies.
The reporting year also saw 2,644 t of paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, and household aluminium waste sent for disposal (up 181 t or 7% compared to 2,463 t in 2023).
In 2024, 284 passenger infrastructure facilities were furnished with 376 reverse vending machines collecting plastic bottles and aluminium cans, with a bonus system in place for passengers. The reporting year saw 100,000 passengers hand over around 5.9 million containers, or 190.9 t of secondary materials, for recycling, including 80% of plastic waste and 20% of household aluminium. Compared to 2023, the number of reverse vending machines increased 1.7 times (from 216 in 2023).
In 2024, the Central Directorate for Passenger Service installed reverse vending machines at transport interchange hubs of the Moscow Central Circle and Moscow Central Diameters.
“We continuously take measures to control and maintain the railway infrastructure area in accordance with sanitary and epidemiological legislation requirements. In 2024, we approved a Roadmap to improve this work, with target objectives including preventing railway infrastructure area pollution violations and engaging in awareness raising efforts among passengers and residents of adjacent habitable areas. Environmental focus with passenger involvement in the Russian Railways ecosystem represents one of our core values.”
Chief Engineer of the Central Directorate of Infrastructure
Separate waste collection on Sapsan trains
Russian Railways implemented separate collection of paper (newspapers and magazines) and plastics on its high‑speed Sapsan trains. Cars feature labelled stationary containers to collect recyclables. Trains also have specially designed mobile collection trolleys. During the trip, passengers are encouraged to separate waste into two groups.
In 2024, Sapsan trains collected and sent 46.52 t of paper and plastic waste for recycling, along with used seat covers.
The High‑Speed Transportation Directorate raises awareness about Russian Railways’ responsible approach to the environment by means of on‑board videos, publications in newspapers and magazines, social media and on‑board catering activities.
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