Are hromadas ready to sort wastes

NGO “Ekoltava” has carried out polling of population in northwestern subregion of Poltavs’ka region so as to inspect waste management system and find out if locals are ready for implementing segregated waste collection in amalgamated hromadas. Four hromadas took part in polling: Pyriatyns’ka,  Hrebinkivs’ka, Novoorzhyts’ka, Chornukhyns’ka, 600 respondents total, 150 in each hromada. Among the rest, polling contained the following questions:

• waste collection in hromadas (who provides services, what is the fee, how many utility enterprises function within hromadas);
• segregated waste collection (how the collection is arranged, who does it, how often, what troubles there exist with collection, how much recyclables there were collected during previous years, recycling points within amalgamated hromadas, what kinds of wastes they take);
• illegal trash dumps;
• the traditions of composting organic wastes (whether households do composting, relevance of installing containers for organic wastes);
• large-size wastes (availability of twig choppers, heating with chips);
• collection of hazardous wastes;
• relevance of introduction of separated waste collection;
• informing about news in ecology.

Additionally, in-depth interviews were held to secure higher precision of polling results.

It turned out that citizens of every hromada were unsatisfied with waste management in their own way. They believe that local powers must put maximum efforts to arrange hazardous wastes collection: discarded energy-saving bulbs, batteries, accumulator, e-wastes (television sets, computers) and counteract the emergence of new illegal waste dumps along with closing the existing ones. 

Concerning waste removal in hromadas, the marks were the following: 32,2% (193 respondents) gave three points out of five, 26% (157 respondents) rated the service above the average, 22% (130 respondents) awarded maximum five points. Generally, the service was rated below the average by 20% population (120 respondents).

Also, the results for regularity of removal are: 59% and 20% respectively consider it generally or moderately regular, while only 7% rate it as occasional.

We’ve also asked about the containers near urban areas. Most respondents claim that there are containers nearby or there runs a truck and removes trash by the schedule. Yet, citizens emphasize on small quantity of containers for segregated wastes like: paper, plastic, glass.

The majority of respondents would prefer to have containers for segregated wastes installed near their dwellings. About 56% (335 respondents) have stated they want containers for segregated wastes, 17% (103 respondents) are ready to use containers for mixed wastes, while 22% (133 respondents) want scheduled waste removal by truck.

The diagram below proves that the population of hromadas generally stands for idea of separated wastes collection. 

Another diagram below allows to point out key factors that respondents consider motivating for introduction of separated waste collection in hromadas of northwestern subregion. And containers for separated collection are the very factor that helps to implement household sorting.

Among the most overwhelming indicators there is profit from selling recyclables, that can be used for urban improvement.

Concerning the relevance of enlightening campaign around 81% named it a chief leverage for establishing communication with citizens of hromadas.

On summarizing the diagrams we can conclude that the population feels the need for qualitative changes in municipal solid waste management and is ready to start sorting wastes despite almost complete absence of specialized containers. 

We’ve proposed guidelines for improving waste management in amalgamated hromadas.

The first step is establishment of intermunicipal (i.e. between hromadas) cooperation, since they provide proportional funding of respective measures. Also, it is important to coordinate newly developed local plans with the regional one, for instance, when purchasing garbage trucks for far-away transportation of wastes to centralized processing facilities.

General guidelines for all hromadas are the following:

• the foremost step is informational campaign in local social networks, mass media, online editions, newspapers and television, as they are primary sources of information about environment for our respondents. Local administration is able to arrange informing through local groups even if it is only about copying or sharing posts from other specialized links. 
• the research demonstrates favourable reaction to chain “recyclables-city-improvement”, therefore, this chain can become an additional motivator for joining separate waste collection. It is possible to arrange various actions like “New benches, or bins, or street lights installed in the village thanks to selling collected recyclables” or competitions between urban settlements in collecting recyclables, where the winning town or village gets improvements done. 
• emphasis on indoor recycling of organic wastes. State department of statistics claims that in all hromadas people live mostly in private apartments, so indoor composting is cheaper and easier. 
• in all hromadas there exists a demand for separated waste collection. We prospect several ways of implementing it and involving little to no funding: it is reasonable to develop municipal system of recycling points, which can probably function “on a market day” for the big crowd, just like entrepreneurs do when they buy nuts and other stuff wholesale. Or it may be private public partnership like in Chornukhy, where hromada hires an entrepreneur for servicing existing containers for recyclables.
• find trade market or use chips on-site, the latter variant increases its economical feasibility. It may be used as mulch for flowers (and decrease the amount of dirt on lawns), for heating public institutions, or given away to vulnerable social groups as fuel.
• the polling shows that the population is basically unsatisfied with hazardous wastes management. Order the ecobus and spread the word about it! 

We consider different rates for removing mixed and sorted wastes the best way of implementing separated collection. But this solution requires refusal from public containers in favour of containers attached to certain houses (for example sets of 120-liter containers for private households and restricted areas with containers for multi-storeyed buildings). This scheme is currently implemented in Lokhvytsia. The other option is collecting bagged wastes in a car directly, and only in bags the price for which includes different collection fees (more expensive opaque black bags for mixed wastes and cheaper transparent bags for recyclables). The bags are distributed by municipalities. Certain days are appointed for removing certain kinds of wastes. Another option is establishing recycling points within hromadas.

On April 12 and 13 NGO “Ekoltava” has held trainings “Segregate not neglect” for teachers of public educational institutions in Pyriatyns’ka, Chornukhyns’ka, Hrebinkivs’ka, and Novoorzhyts’ka hromadas. Trainings were held online due to quarantine. We’ve spoken about the danger of municipal wastes, principles of reasonable consumption, and gave guidelines to minimize wastes. Together with that we’ve presented educational game “Eco-memo”, designed for enlightening pupils on how to sort wastes. 

Pattern: Game “Eco-memo”

During April, 19 – May, 5 the competition “Collect more of it!” is held among the schools of mentioned hromadas. The participants will collect recyclables, that is, PET-bottles and waste paper directly in schools and further give it away for recycling. The winners get valuable prizes.

Next we plan the training for entrepreneurs “Implementing zero-waste principle”. In May Ecofetivals are to be held in mentioned hromadas with “Clean games” as its part – environmental, educational and volunteer project that teaches the principles of sorting. And finally the rousing entertaining agenda follows the game! 

So keep in touch with NGO ”Ekoltava” in social networks and on the website. You’ll get a whole bunch of updates and top events!

The project is implemented thanks to support from GIZ Global project “Support of the Export Initiative for Environmental Technologies”.