Intermunicipal cooperation in twaste management

On 26th of May, 2021 a round table took place on the topic “Inter-municipal cooperation in the field of waste management: local plans in north-western subregion, Poltavs’ka region” for representatives from Pyriatyns’ka, Hrebinkivs’ka, Chornukhyns’ka, and Novoorzhyts’ka amalgamated hromadas.  Since the current situation with solid municipal wastes in Ukraine is disastrous, the main objective was to familiarize hromadas with recycling practices.

The event was visited by the representatives from administrations and enterprises of Pyriatyns’ka, Hrebinkivs’ka, Chornukhyns’ka, and Novoorzhyts’ka amalgamated hromadas.

The introductory speech was delivered by Eduard Reva, deputy head, department of building, urban planning, architecture, housing and communal services, Poltava regional state administration, and Taras Zhuravel’, deputy manager, Global project “Support of the Export Initiative for Environmental Technologies”.

Oksana Illyash, associate professor, department of ecology, Kondratiuk’s Poltava national polytechnic university, proposed updates to subregional wastes management plan, namely within Lubny-Pyriatyn cluster. She also presented the estimation of alternatives.

Maksym Makukha, technical expert, NGO “Ekoltava”, spoke on relevant situation in municipal solid waste management in hromadas.

“Subregional strategy of waste management in Poltavs’ka region correlates with review of price rates for municipal solid waste collection and removal so as to compensate gradually in full the expenses of respective companies. Co-financing 50% from nature protection regional fund for: installing containers in urban settlements, construction, completion, reconstruction of refuse dumps and landfills, purchasing trash-collecting machinery and specialized machines for landfills”, mentioned Maksym Makukha, technical expert, NGO “Ekoltava”.

Updated program will be developed during the secong half of 2021. 

Technical expert has presented the results of polling and their analysis for every separate hromada, provided guidelines to improve the situation. In hromadas the conditions differ greatly, yet the basic tasks remain the following:

• Including into local plans informational campaign carried out through local social media or minor informational agency;
• Emphasis on recycling organic wastes on-site. Options for multi-storeyed buildings;
• There exists a demand for separated waste collection. Big part of population is satisfied with what there is. It may be reasonable to establish municipal network of recycling points or found a private and public partnership like it is in Chornukhy;
• Optimization of chips chopping: it may be reasonable to establish a ground for “green wastes” and grind them whenever staff has free time, as it is in utility enterprise ”Lazirkydobrobut”.
• Creation or search for trade market to sell chips. For instance, chips may be used to heat public institutions or be given to vulnerable social groups as in Hrebinka.

Hennadiy Dubov, CEO, “Ecotechnical company “Hranik”, Ltd., told about successful pratices of managing municipal solid wastes. He also mentioned relevant and prospected fees for waste removal.

In the second half of event Tetiana Omel’yanenko, expert in waste management, familiarized the audience with the sequence of developing local plans of municipal solid waste management.

Nikola Doychinov, GIZ expert, summarized the event and spoke on proper intermunicipal cooperation, the first steps in it and respective abroad experience.