On 28 May, a shipment of 240 waste containers from Sweden – each with a volume of 1,000 litres – has arrived in the city of Kremenchuk. The delivery was made within the framework of the WM4U Programme – Waste Management for Ukraine, funded by the Government of Sweden and implemented by SALAR International in partnership with Avfall Sverige.
This delivery marks another important milestone in the Programme’s mission to strengthen municipal waste management systems in Ukraine. The donated containers come from the northwestern region of Skåne, Sweden, where they became surplus after the waste company NSR transitioned to smaller containers for improved sorting in apartment buildings, aimed at reducing unsorted waste and increasing recycling rates.
“Waste management is a key part of the green transition – and an area where Swedish organisations have a lot to contribute. As Ukraine prepares for recovery following Russia’s invasion, new opportunities are opening for Swedish municipalities and companies. This can take the form of equipment donations, but also of sharing sustainable Swedish solutions that support a circular economy,” said Tony Clark, CEO of Avfall Sverige.
Responding to critical needs
Ukraine’s waste management sector currently faces major challenges. Over 90% of municipal solid waste is still landfilled, and less than 7% is recycled. The full-scale war has further worsened the situation – damaging infrastructure, disrupting services, and generating huge volumes of demolition debris.
In many communities, waste collection infrastructure is either lacking or severely damaged. Kremenchuk is one of four pilot intermunicipal waste management clusters under the WM4U Programme – alongside Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, and Lozova – where joint planning and shared services are being implemented as a model for compliance with European standards and regulations.
The newly delivered containers will be distributed across Kremenchuk and neighbouring communities to expand service coverage, prevent illegal dumping, and create a cleaner and safer environment.
As a reminder, in April, as part of the Programme’s technical assistance component, 191 waste containers were also delivered to the city of Lozova in the Kharkiv region.
