On March 10–11, a practical workshop was held in Ivano-Frankivsk for the pilot clusters of the Waste Management for Ukraine programme. The purpose of the workshop was to provide communities with a deeper understanding of the cluster concept and to identify key areas of focus for improving the waste management system. The event began with welcoming remarks from the program’s beneficiaries and partners, who acknowledged its significant importance for the Ukrainian people and European integration.

“The program is a symbol of the relationship between Ukraine and Sweden, bringing together cooperation that is vital at various levels — community to community, region to region, person to person. And its goal is important not only for the environment. It is important for people, for our future, and for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. For Sweden, it is a priority to soon welcome Ukraine into the EU. And this program is part of that journey,” said Elsa Hastad, Deputy Ambassador of Sweden to Ukraine, addressing the seminar participants. 

Vadym Sozonyk, Deputy Head of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration, emphasized that support from partners is crucial for implementing reforms in Ukraine: “It is precisely through joint cooperation and the exchange of experience, knowledge, and technologies that we can strengthen the reform of our sector and bring Ukraine up to European standards, which is what we dream of, because Ukraine is an integral part of Europe.”

The participants in the practical workshop were communities from four WM4U pilot clusters in the Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, Kharkiv, and Poltava oblasts, with centers in Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, Lozova, and Kremenchuk, respectively.

And it was precisely the cluster concept that became the focus of the first workshop: in community working groups, together with representatives of Swedish clusters and the Regional State Administration, participants discussed the issues that need to be addressed in order to reform the system; they developed a shared understanding of the cluster concept and the Local Waste Management Plan, and identified practical ways to implement it. They also addressed the implementation of the Regional Waste Management Plan to ensure the feasibility of the process at the local level and mapped out potential regional facilities.

Community representatives paid special attention to the challenges on the path to change. Among them are the lack of necessary infrastructure, issues with hazardous waste management, insufficient material and technical support, as well as a shortage of human and financial resources and the risk of social resistance.

“It’s important to us not to have to worry about waste,” smiles Bohdan Avgustovych, Head of the Luka-Meleshkivska territorial community. “Participating in the training and the Programme in general helps us gain practical skills and experience and implement them in our community. I am a resident of my community and want to see it clean and environmentally friendly!”

On the second day, the communities focused on aspects that will help achieve results by implementing the reform. The training covered cooperation among territorial communities within clusters, as well as international cooperation. During the session, realistic areas of cooperation were identified, and its organizational, technological, economic, financial, and legal aspects were clarified.

All seminar participants agreed that it is important to work toward the transition to separate waste collection not just on paper but in practice, a goal they are already pursuing in collaboration with WM4U experts. Following the workshop, the communities should discuss the proposed solutions and the cluster’s structure within their communities, and during the next meeting with representatives of the Programme and the Swedish clusters, they should work on specific decisions regarding the formation of the cluster and the development of a local waste management plan.

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.