Ilsur Metshin: “At least half of the 1,600-1,800 tons of garbage exported from Kazan every day must be recycled”

The Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin visited the factory for the production of furniture from recycled materials. To date, there are no more than ten such enterprises in Russia. The founders of the Qullar workshop, graduates of Kazan State Architecture University Konstantin Maksimov and Alexander Nikolaev produce outdoor and interior furniture. The company, which processes up to one thousand tons of plastic per month, has already begun installing outdoor furniture in parks and squares of the city, and have plans to equip the SIBUR business district.

The Mayor of Kazan noted that manufacturing furniture from waste will help reduce the amount of garbage in the city, as well as develop an ESG strategy in the capital of Tatarstan.

“Now we are creating the ESG principles strategy in the city. I would like you to join this work. It is important to identify areas for cooperation through dialogue. 1,600-1,800 tons of waste are exported from Kazan to landfills every day. We need to ensure that we recycle at least half of this volume. The task is ambitious, but the best cities in the world have done it. There are few such examples in Russia so far, but we are not afraid to be among the first. Thank you for taking such a difficult road. You are pioneers in Kazan, and we will support you in this,”- Ilsur Metshin said.

The design of furniture is being developed by entrepreneurs Konstantin Maksimov and Alexander Nikolaev. First, they create a sketch on paper, then they design a 3D model. The first compressed sample is checked for defects, and after adjustments, the product is produced.

During the production process, the plastic is crushed into a fine fraction of 5-10 millimeters, after which it is poured into a mold. “We work with plastic as with a butter. We pour the crumbs into a thermal press, which is baked on both sides. After that, we get a sheet from which we assemble the table. We created and assembled the thermal press ourselves,”- said Alexander Nikolaev.

The Qullar company works with three main materials – natural wood, recycled plastic and metal. Furniture made of recycled plastic is resistant, after years the material does not change its properties.

For public spaces in Kazan, the workshop has developed a special line of outdoor furniture made of recycled plastic. This furniture was installed in many locations in Kazan- the Uram Extreme Park, Baumana Street, the territories near the Kremlyovskaya metro station and in front of the Kazan Family Center.

 “I am happy that today there are entrepreneurs like you in Kazan. Even with a small production. We are pleased that in addition to the municipal authorities, you are involved in the work on the implementation of ESG principles. Imagine the amount of garbage that a millionth Kazan generates. And there is only one way – recycling. Our dream is to increase the number of such companies,” -Ilsur Metshin addressed the furniture manufacturers.

The production is located in the Privolzhsky district of Kazan, on an area of 680 square meters. In the future, it is planned to move to a large workshop.