From 9 to 13 June 2025, Ukraine hosted another important stage of international cooperation in the field of municipal waste management – introductory visits of the Swedish clusters “North” and “West” to their partner clusters in Lozova (Kharkiv region) and Kremenchuk (Poltava region). These visits are part of the training component of the Swedish-Ukrainian WM4U Programme –Waste Management for Ukraine, implemented by Avfall Sverige and SALAR International with the support of the Government of Sweden through Sida.

A key element of the visits were the kick-off meetings held on 9 and 12 June with the communities of the Lozova and Kremenchuk clusters. During these meetings, the composition of each cluster was presented in detail, and the communities delivered presentations analysing their local starting conditions, which serve as a basis for future planning.

The WM4U team presented comprehensive information about the Programme’s objectives and components and, together with the communities, identified key next steps for further cooperation within the pilot clusters. The active participation of community heads as well as representatives of regional military administrations reflected a high level of attention and understanding of the strategic importance of reforming the waste management system in line with European standards.

Throughout the week, Swedish colleagues familiarised themselves with the real situation on the ground: visiting landfill sites, municipal enterprises, waste collection points, and technical facilities, while discussing key challenges and opportunities directly with communities.

Lozova cluster: early results of a comprehensive approach

The Lozova urban community in Kharkiv region is one of the largest in terms of the number of settlements, uniting 91 settlements with a population of over 87,000 people. The waste management system in the community is being gradually developed.

Two municipal enterprises provide services: Eko-San and Teplovodservis. Today, 71% of the community’s territory is covered by centralised waste collection, with infrastructure expansion ongoing – by the end of 2025, 16 additional villages are planned to be covered.Eko-San serves over 53,000 residents and operates a 6.2-hectare municipal waste landfill equipped with a weighbridge and compaction system.

The enterprise’s vehicle fleet includes eight garbage trucks with GPS navigation and a bulldozer for waste compaction. The population’s payment rate for services ranges between 88–92%, indicating efficient organisation of fee collection.

Serhii Zelenskyi, Mayor of Lozova, emphasised:

“We have a responsible mission – together with our Swedish partners, we are implementing a pilot waste management project, the experience of which will serve as a foundation for national scaling. Ahead lies challenging but important work: research, planning, expert support, and preparation of documentation for constructing a new landfill and modern processing facility. Success will depend not only on the management team and partners, but also on the active involvement of the community’s residents.”

The Sakhnovshchyna community within the Lozova cluster also demonstrates determination in introducing separate waste collection. For the past three years, they have been successfully collecting plastic, reaching annual volumes of about 3 tonnes.

Kremenchuk cluster: modern infrastructure and new approaches

As part of the introductory visit to the Kremenchuk cluster, the Swedish experts visited the city of Kremenchuk and surrounding communities – Potoky, Novohaleshchyna, Pryshyb, and the town of Horishni Plavni.

The Kremenchuk urban community includes five settlements, and waste management services are provided by Kremenchuk KATP 1628, which collects approximately 80,000 tonnes of municipal waste annually. The collection system operates through 261 collection points, including semi-underground containers. Separate collection of polymers (90 tonnes) and glass (345 tonnes) has already been introduced.

The enterprise’s vehicle fleet includes 17 garbage trucks, 8 special vehicles with multilifts, and 12 dump trucks. The procurement of a new bulldozer is currently being prepared. Waste disposal is carried out at a 28-hectare landfill, with areas allocated for expansion.

Particularly noteworthy are local initiatives in the communities. For example, in Novohaleshchyna, active work is being done to develop waste sorting culture among youth: a wire-frame PET bottle-shaped container has been installed in the schoolyard, and proceeds from recyclables are directed by the student council to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Vitalii Maletskyi, Mayor of Kremenchuk, noted:

“Despite all the difficulties of wartime, we are gradually restructuring our waste management system. Thanks to your support, these changes can happen much faster, more efficiently, and serve as a multiplier for development – both for our community and for businesses ready to join these processes. This will also give momentum to neighbouring cluster communities actively committed to cooperation within the Programme.”

The Swedish perspective: readiness for change and growth potential

The visits enabled Swedish experts to directly assess the state of municipal waste management in Ukrainian communities – with all its achievements, challenges, and growth points.

Sharing her first impressions after arriving in Ukraine, Tova Lustig, coordinator of the Swedish “West” cluster and Head of Quality and Development at Avfall Skaraborg, said:

“When I was leaving Sweden, I had certain concerns. But upon arriving in Kremenchuk, I was impressed by the city’s beauty, cleanliness, and the incredible warmth and hospitality of the people. We gained a comprehensive understanding of the local waste management system and saw the work of cluster partners. Many challenges lie ahead, but there is also readiness for change and real examples of increasing public awareness. We are ready to support Ukraine, share our experience, and stand with you on this path of change.”

Further analysing the situation, Jan Furumo, representative of the “North” cluster, added:

“What we saw in Lozova reminded us of a system similar to the one that existed in Sweden in the 1970s – simple, with limited material resources. However, our Ukrainian colleagues are well aware of the existing challenges and show a strong ambition to modernise the municipal waste management system. We see great potential, especially considering the existing willingness for intermunicipal cooperation, which could be key to creating joint treatment facilities.”

Per-Erik Persson, also representing the “North” cluster, highlighted the human dimension of the partnership:

“During our visit to Lozova, we encountered remarkable people who, even in wartime conditions, demonstrate incredible resilience and faith in the future. The strong relationships we have already built between the Swedish ‘North’ cluster and the Lozova cluster give us confidence that, by combining our expertise with the determination of our Ukrainian colleagues, we are paving the way for a truly successful and meaningful project.”

Next steps: recommendations and planning future changes

During the visits, baseline data were simultaneously collected through WM4U Programme questionnaires. The collected information will serve as the basis for preparing baseline reports with tailored recommendations for each community.

In the coming stages, the clusters will work together on:

  • updating specialised equipment;
  • developing infrastructure for separate collection and sorting;
  • addressing the problem of overfilled landfills;
  • conducting waste morphology studies;
  • engaging residents in active participation in system reform.

WM4U continues to support Ukrainian communities on their complex but extremely important path of implementing European municipal waste management standards that bring long-term benefits for both people and the environment.