EXPORTINITIATIVE UMWELTSCHUTZEXI fosters knowledge transfer for improved waste management in Ukraine
On behalf of the BMUV Export Initiative for Environmental Protection (EXI), GIZ is supporting Ukraine in establishing a sustainable waste management system, initially focussing on the introduction of separate collection systems in the Poltava region.
Networking and knowledge exchange at IFAT Munich 2024
A Ukrainian delegation travelled to Munich from 13 to 16 May 2024 to take part in IFAT, the world's leading trade fair for waste management. The delegation included (deputy) mayors from the municipalities of Grebinky, Novoorzhytsia, Pyriatyn and Chornukhy, a representative of the Ukrainian Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development and the city council from Pyryatyn. The five-member delegation was accompanied by the Ukrainian GIZ team. During the trade fair, the delegates had the opportunity to meet in person with representatives from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, German companies and associations, such as the German RETech Partnership, and to find out about processes and environmental technologies from Germany.
Volodymyr Nedbailo, deputy mayor of the municipality of Novoorzhytsia, described his impressions at IFAT as follows:
"I am very impressed. We not only have a challenge with household waste, but also with organic waste. Branches and leaves often accumulate when pruning trees. Processing and composting them is currently our biggest problem. I am therefore very pleased about the technologies, machines and modern approaches to processing and utilising this type of waste. I am also very impressed by the leadership of German cities, partners, organisations and the Ministry. They offer us the opportunity to learn from their experiences so that we can improve the lives of our communities using these technologies and knowledge. In this way, we can move closer to the standards in Germany and the EU."
Inter-municipal cooperation as a success factor for improved waste management
One milestone of the project in the Poltava region was the founding of the EcoService 2022 waste management association by four municipalities. The aim is to create a basis for a future circular economy. A central component of the work on site is the partnership between the Bergisch Waste Association (BAV) and EcoService-2022 as part of the "Operator platform for strengthening partnerships of municipal companies worldwide".
The BMZ-funded partnership thus complements the activities of the BMUV's Environmental Protection Export Initiative, which are bundled and coordinated by the GIZ. Most recently, BAV delivered around 500 containers in June, making it possible to integrate the entire area of the four municipalities into a functioning waste management system. As part of the EXI, GIZ is providing advice on how best to distribute the containers and plan and coordinate the routes for the collection vehicles.
The expert forum "Ukraine: Inter-municipal cooperation as a success factor for improved waste management" focussed on the experiences and results achieved to date.
Nilgün Parker, Head of Department at the BMUV, welcomed the participants and emphasised:
"In the Poltava region, four municipalities have entered into a cooperation and we are very pleased that the export initiative was able to support them on this path. Successful inter-municipal cooperation is not a self-evident matter: the legal framework conditions must be in place, the infrastructure must be established and, above all, cooperation must be based on trust."
Ms. Parker also emphasised her admiration for the Ukrainian partners, who continue to work on sustainable waste management despite the Russian military attacks on Ukraine.
"The Export Initiative for Environmental Protection will continue to support you and your successful work within the scope of our possibilities," assured Ms. Parker.
🎤 The panellists:
- Diana Novikova, Head of the Department for Household Waste Management and Municipal Services at the Ministry for the Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine
- Dr. Pascal Beese-Vasbender, Technical Director of the Bergisch Waste Management Association
- Oleksandr Vasylenko, Mayor of Chornukhy
- Oleksandr Kotenko, Managing Director of EcoSevice-2022
- Taras Zhuravel, GIZ project manager in Ukraine
Exchange of practical experience and German expertise
Examples of successful knowledge transfer mentioned on the podium included a study trip by a Ukrainian delegation to the :metabolon innovation centre in Engelskirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia in December 2023 and a series of online webinars in spring 2024, which covered topics such as landfill remediation, waste separation and strategies for improved waste management.
Speaking about the webinar series, Oleksandr Kotenko, Managing Director of EcoSerivce-2022, said:
"As the head of a waste management company, I was deeply impressed by Germany's thoughtful planning and strategic approach to planning and implementing waste management projects. This applies to both the development of landfill projects and the introduction of separate waste collection systems in Germany. We are optimistic that this valuable experience will contribute significantly to the further development of Ecoservice 2022."
GIZ project manager Taras Zhuravel added:
"The webinar series enabled the exchange of practical experience and German expertise in the field of environmental technologies. The participants of the partnership had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with modern approaches to waste management in Germany and to present and discuss practical steps for the implementation of projects in the Poltava region."
Taking part at the IFAT trade fair in Munich proved to be an excellent opportunity to present the results of inter-municipal cooperation in the Poltava region, explore approaches and technologies and investigate future opportunities for cooperation.
IFAT is the world's leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management and takes place every two years in Munich. In 2024, around 3,200 exhibitors from 61 countries and regions and around 142,000 visitors attended IFAT in Munich.