The Rohatyn community in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast received a garbage truck from the Swedish municipality of Hässleholm.
The Scania garbage truck (manufactured in 2016) was previously in service in Hässleholm, Sweden. After being taken out of service and undergoing maintenance, the vehicle was transferred to the Rohatyn community. The assistance was provided under the WM4U programme, whose experts selected the community after assessing its needs, capacity to effectively use the equipment, and the potential impact on service quality.
“Many Ukrainian communities participating in our program need garbage trucks, which makes the selection process necessary. Rohatyn was chosen based on a set of criteria that take into account the area the garbage truck can cover and the accessibility of waste collection services. Having a garbage truck will expand the geographic reach of waste collection and make waste removal more regular. Additionally, the equipment will create opportunities for cooperation with neighboring communities,” explains Klas Svensson, the International Donations Coordinator of WM4U.
The Rohatyn community comprises 72 settlements with a population of over 31,000. Many of these are in remote villages where it is difficult to organize waste collection. In 2020, immediately after its establishment, the community lacked estimates of waste generation volumes and an adequate logistical infrastructure. As a result, uncontrolled landfills were spreading. Their removal provided only a short-term solution — an alternative was needed.
Serhiy Nasalik, Mayor of the Rohatyn City Council, explains:
“This is how the logistics for container placement came about; the number of containers has doubled, and waste collection capacity has increased. Today, we are among the first in the region to have our own Waste Management Plan and are participating in a project to establish a cluster-based waste management system, where our Swedish partners are teaching us how to implement it.”
In addition, the community has already begun implementing separate collection of specific waste fractions. New equipment is intended to support this process and reduce the burden on outdated machinery.
“We are pleased to hand over our garbage truck to the community of Rohatyn to support your society. Sweden stands in solidarity with Ukraine, and this is a small contribution from the city of Hässleholm to your struggle. Waste management is an important component of sustainable community development, and we hope that our garbage truck will be of use to you,” says Jens Richard, a representative of the municipality of Hässleholm.
“Strengthening Municipal Waste Management in Ukraine (2024–2027)” (WM4U) is a Swedish-Ukrainian programme aimed at systemic changes in the field of municipal waste management in Ukraine. The program is funded by the Swedish government through Sida and implemented by Avfall Sverige and SALAR International.