Ukraine is introducing a new waste management policy. In this context, one should speak of a change in mentality, and first of all, decision-makers, local authorities, central government, and business. It’s time to switch from “take, make, waste” to “reduce, reuse, recycle” (shorten, reuse, recycle). This was stated at a conference “New Waste Management Policy – The Way to a Cyclical Economy”, said Vice Prime Minister – Minister for Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine Gennady Zubko.

According to him, today at the state level there is already a strategic document – the Government’s adopted Waste Management Strategy until 2030. The Strategy and Action Plan for it are a route that local governments and communities need to move. “In the direction of regional development, we are doing a lot of things at the same time, constantly growing and gaining experience. New communities are being created that receive new opportunities and tools. The best international experience and modern technologies are being attracted, a number of successful waste management infrastructure projects are being implemented, including jointly with international partners, for example, with the Japanese JICA agency. But this is just a matter of involving technologies, finance and investments in this process, everything else we need to do ourselves “, – said Gennadiy Zubko.

The Vice Prime Minister stressed that the introduction of a new waste management policy requires the creation of the necessary legislative framework. “In addition to the Strategy and the National Action Plan, we lack the sectoral laws that need to be implemented. Today, rubbish is considered not as a problem; it is a matter of a powerful energy resource available to every community. So the first step in the route map is the development of regional waste management plans and plans. This will allow to build a system that will be logistically and economically efficient and marginally affect the development of communities, “said Gennady Zubko.

Among the necessary steps is also the approval of the municipalities for tariffs for domestic waste management services, which will allow the demonopolization of the market for processing and disposal of household waste. Establishment of regional waste management centers, conditions for the quality provision of services for the disposal of domestic waste and the transparent payment of these services, and the active use of instruments of inter-municipal cooperation. Today, from 180 agreements concluded between 753 local councils, more than 30 contracts – in the field of waste management. And this work should be further intensified “, – said Gennady Zubko.

“This work is the beginning of a great path. After all, this resource – household waste – is available in every community and should be considered by local governments, consumers and businesses as a source of alternative energy generation, “the official said.

The conference is organized with the support of the EU Delegation to Ukraine and EU-funded projects (Twinning, APENA, BRDO), the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the DESPRO project.