The Ministry of Health of Ukraine has approved amendments to regulatory acts in the field of public health and epidemic control. Experts from the WM4U Program collaborated with the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine on the development of these amendments.
The amendments pertain, in particular, to sanitary standards and rules for the maintenance of populated areas:
- terminology and approaches have been brought into line with the Ukrainian laws “On Waste Management” and “On Water Disposal and Wastewater Treatment”
- it has been clarified that the household waste management system is determined by the rules for the improvement of the settlement, taking into account regional and local waste management plans;
- additional opportunities have been created for the development of separate collection of household waste. Residential areas, courtyards, public roads, public transportation stops, venues for mass events, etc., must be equipped with container sites for the separate collection of household waste and waste bins. If it is impossible to set up a container site in a particular area, the local government may permit the placement of containers without establishing such a site. A mechanism is also provided for reducing the distances to containers in exceptional cases.
- regulations have been established regarding the placement of containers for household waste collection in isolated, specially equipped rooms within buildings and structures. This may contribute to the development of separate waste collection, particularly in densely built-up areas.
- approaches to the frequency of household waste collection have been revised. The previous requirement for mandatory waste storage periods in containers based on temperature has been repealed. Communities may independently determine the frequency of household waste collection. This allows schedules to be adapted to local conditions and needs rather than being tied exclusively to temperature conditions.
- requirements have been established for compliance with noise hygiene standards during the collection and transportation of household waste, as well as a ban on the burning of fallen leaves; requirements for the cleaning and disinfection of containers have been clarified, and requirements for waste management in healthcare facilities have been improved.
- the requirement to install garbage chutes in new residential buildings has been repealed, and restrictions on closing them in existing buildings have been lifted. This opens up opportunities for implementing separate waste collection in apartment buildings.
Updating the regulatory framework is an important step toward establishing more modern and flexible household waste management systems in communities and aligning them with current legislation.