On April 14-16, representatives of the Swedish “West” Cluster paid a study visit to the Kremenchuk Cluster in Kremenchuk as part of the Strengthening of Municipal Waste Management in Ukraine programme. The purpose of the visit was to exchange practical experience, deepen cooperation between communities, and develop joint approaches to implementing a cluster model for municipal waste management.
The event brought together representatives of local government, central government, international partners, and program experts. Volodymyr Pelipenko, First Deputy Mayor of Kremenchuk, noted that he is proud that the community has finally begun the work that should have started many years ago: “We would like to be able to draw the right conclusions from this work and build on the experience of our Swedish colleagues to reduce the time needed to implement what took many years in Sweden. We have the opportunity to adopt this experience. I am confident that we will be able to implement these practices effectively.”
Over the course of two days, participants worked on laying the groundwork for the Kremenchuk cluster. A separate discussion focused on the cluster concept and its practical application at the local level.
Oleg Bondarenko, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management, who also joined the working meeting, emphasized: “We are ready to drive the reform forward and figure out what communities are lacking. And without strong community involvement, we won’t be able to do this, because neither the government nor the business sector is providing us with sufficient capacity to implement all the new legislative provisions. That’s why this event is so important!”
During the working meeting, the focus remained on the practical aspects of community cooperation within the cluster. Participants worked through the first steps toward establishing an effective household waste management system and discussed potential risks and ways to mitigate them. Through workshops, the communities developed a shared vision for drafting the cluster concept.
Representatives of the Kremenchuk community presented their own experience — regarding securing donor support and developing infrastructure — which piqued the interest of representatives from the “West” cluster:
“We once started with the same approach to waste management that you have today. All waste was taken to landfills. It was a long journey, but now very little waste ends up in landfills. Ukraine’s plans are very ambitious. And we hope that you can learn from us so as not to repeat our mistakes. We are here to show you how to achieve success faster,” emphasized Tova Lustig, a representative of the Swedish “West” Cluster.
Participants noted the importance of exchanging experiences between communities, as it allows not only for the adoption of successful practices but also for their adaptation to local conditions. The solutions developed during the visit will serve as the basis for further work on forming clusters and implementing a modern waste management system.
The event was held within the Swedish–Ukrainian WM4U Programme, which aims to support the development of modern, systemic, and environmentally responsible waste management solutions at local, regional and national levels.The program is funded by the Government of Sweden through Sida and led by Avfall Sverige and SALAR International.