On 19 August, Kremenchuk welcomed a second shipment of waste containers from Sweden – 505 bins delivered from the Swedish city of Ystad. The support was provided 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 marks the fourth donation of equipment under the WM4U Programme and the second one directed specifically to Kremenchuk, reinforcing the city’s efforts to expand reliable waste collection services amid wartime challenges.
Continued international partnership
The delivery builds on an earlier shipment in May, when 240 containers, 600 litres each, arrived in Kremenchuk from the Swedish region of Skåne. Together, these donations are helping the city and neighbouring communities improve service coverage, reduce illegal dumping, and create a cleaner urban environment.
Klas Svensson, International Donations Coordinator for WM4U, emphasised the importance of continuity in support:
“Every delivery of equipment is a direct investment in the resilience of Ukrainian municipalities. These 505 bins from Ystad are not just about replacing damaged infrastructure – they give Kremenchuk and its neighbours the tools to build a waste management system that is safer, more reliable, and closer to European standards.”
Responding to urgent needs
Ukraine’s waste sector continues to face severe pressure: more than 90% of municipal solid waste is landfilled, while recycling rates remain below 7%. Russia’s full-scale invasion has further strained local systems, destroying infrastructure and generating vast amounts of additional waste.
Kremenchuk is the central community of one of four pilot intermunicipal waste management clusters under WM4U, alongside with clusters centred in Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, and Lozova. Here, new approaches to planning and shared services are being tested as a model for Ukraine’s transition to European waste management standards.
With Sweden’s continued support, the WM4U Programme is creating practical change on the ground while building the foundations for a sustainable, circular waste management system in Ukraine.