Users of the Vyvoz Nenuzhnykh Veshchey service recycle more than 125,000 items
Outdated appliances and old furniture are no longer a problem for Moscow residents. More than 125,000 items – from bulky refrigerators to sofas – have been given a second life or safely recycled thanks to the digital Vyvoz Nenuzhnykh Veshchey (Unwanted Items Removal) service available on the mos.ru city portal.
A New Solution for Old Items
Instead of dragging bulky waste to trash containers – where it is almost guaranteed to end up in a landfill – Moscow residents can submit a pickup request in just a few clicks. Items collected through the service are not dumped but routed for recycling. The process includes professional sorting, recovery of valuable secondary materials such as metals, plastics and textiles, and the safe neutralization of hazardous components, including refrigerants from refrigerators and heavy metals from electronic devices.
From an environmental perspective, this is a direct contribution to reducing landfill volumes and conserving primary resources. From an urban-planning standpoint, it represents the rollout of a more civilized and technology-driven system for handling bulky waste, one that improves overall quality of life in the city. For residents, the main benefit is unprecedented convenience and an easy way to follow the principles of responsible consumption, making a personal contribution to environmental protection.
Not a Second, but a Tenth Life
The Vyvoz Nenuzhnykh Veshchey service has been operating for more than four years. Over that period, Moscow residents have handed over more than 3,000 tons of items. Some are recycled or disposed of safely, while others find new owners. Clothing, footwear and books have been given a second life – these categories were added to the service a year ago. The list of accepted items is regularly expanded, and residents can now even arrange pickup for shower cabins or sports equipment.
More than 85% of items collected for eco-friendly disposal are recycled. Plastics are used to manufacture garden furniture and construction materials, while rubber crumb is suitable for surfacing children’s playgrounds and sports facilities. Many of these materials can be recycled almost indefinitely.
Vyvoz Nenuzhnykh Veshchey is not the first initiative of its kind in Moscow. It is part of a broader ecosystem of urban environmental projects developed in recent years. These include the EcoTochki network for collecting various types of waste, the annual Yolochnyi Krugovorot (Christmas Tree Recycling) campaign, the large-scale rollout of separate waste collection, and even the specialized Telegram bot Moskva Sortiruet (Moscow Sorts).
A Service That Matters
Further development of the service could involve integration with private recycling companies, the introduction of analytics for secondary raw material flows, and even the creation of incentive systems for environmentally active residents. Already today, participants in the Million Prizes (Million Prizes rewards program) can dispose of certain items on more favorable terms, as some pickups are fee-based. Civic engagement – especially among digitally savvy residents – is expected to continue growing.
Reaching the milestone of 125,000 items is strong evidence of both demand for and the effectiveness of digital environmental solutions. Moscow’s experience offers a compelling case for scaling such practices, turning a local service into a standard model for modern cities striving for sustainable development.
